Those Words You Spoke to Me
by cherryblossomx6
Summary: "This whole time.. you were a villain?" Shoto asks, betrayal written on his face. She gives the smallest of nods and hatred fills his eyes. The best of friends become the worst of enemies. They meet again years later and their psychological scars emerge to the surface, giving birth to an intense rivalry. How will Shoto and U.A. fair when the daughter of a dangerous villain enrolls?
1. Prelude

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Prelude

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* * *

The conference room residing in the infamous U.A. High School is silent. All of the teachers and staff fill the chairs surrounding the long rectangular table, remaining vigilant at the presence of a teenage girl sitting at the same table. Nezu, the principal, smiles as he lowers the test packet the girl completed just moments ago. He smiles at her.

"You've passed the written part of the test." He informs, neatly setting the packet down onto the sleek wood structure. The girl doesn't react and Nezu tilts his head slightly in curiosity, being one of the very few in the room to not be giving her a grim look of some kind.

Her silver eyes that have light bags beneath them are gazing at a cicada that is sticking to the other side of the window. She seems to be absorbed in her own thoughts as she stares at the bug, almost as if she's remembering something. Her lips that remained in a straight line since she's arrived here twitch upwards slightly.

"Young Aihara," All Might addresses her from his seat beside hers, gently nudging her to draw her out of her thoughts. She blinks as she's dragged back to the present. Turning her head, she gazes at the Symbol of Peace, All Might. His usual wide grin grows even wider.

"Yes?" She asks, bringing her hand over her mouth to cover up a yawn.

"Nezu was speaking to you."

"Oh," She turns her head in the direction of the humanoid mouse she oddly finds cute. Her dark and messy hair that only reaches her shoulders sway at her movements. "Sorry. What were you saying?"

Nezu laughs to himself and shakes his head in amusement. He slides her packet across the table and towards her. It's a little out of her reach, so Present Mic picks it up and hands it to her. She takes it all while dipping her head in thanks, causing the Pro Hero to smile widely and point both of his fingers at her with a pose.

"You're welcome!" He says perhaps a bit too loudly.

"It's kind of weird hearing your voice when it's not on the radio." She admits with a sluggish smile. Her silver eyes gaze at the passing grade written on the packet. "So, I passed the written test. Does this mean I can move on to the practical?"

"Indeed, it does." Nezu nods. "You'll be able to participate in the practical test normally like everyone else."

"Ah," She yawns and sets her packet down in front of her, bringing her fists up and rubbing at her drooping eyes. "So, I won't have to do any extra procedures?"

"None at all." Nezu smiles and brings his paws together. "Your hero path is now laid out in front of you. It's up to you now to follow it and make the right decisions, all while giving it your all. I do hope you do well in the practical test, Hotaru Aihara. It would be an honor to have you as a student here."

At those words, her tense body relaxes, and her eyes shut as she lets out a relieved breath. As she loosens up, nearly all the heroes in the room do the opposite. Nobody failed to notice the nefarious glint in her eyes. For a moment, it looked almost as if _he_ was sitting there instead. They look towards Nezu skeptically.

"Thank you, Principal Nezu." She whispers before reopening her eyes. That glint is no longer present in her silver orbs. "I'll see you tomorrow at the practical exam."

"Before you leave," Nezu starts up just as she begins to stand to take her leave. She pauses and locks eyes with him. "There is one question I want to ask you. Please answer it truthfully."

"Alright." Hotaru responds after a short moment. She lowers herself back down in her seat and swallows. All eyes are on her, and Nezu's presence suddenly becomes almost overpowering.

"What made you want to become a hero?"

Hotaru's eyes widen as she stares at the humanoid mouse. Her eyes then roam over all the heroes in the room who all stare back at her. That question brings back many old memories she holds dear yet also wants to forget. It's quiet for a good and long moment. Right when she opens her mouth to answer, someone cuts her off.

"You have no desire to become a hero." Shouta Aizawa, the Pro Hero known as Eraserhead speaks up for the first time since she came. Her eyes snap over to him. "It's easy to tell."

"Hold on, Aizawa," All Might holds his hands up in a calming gesture. "Young Aihara looks to have an answer."

Hotaru closes her eyes. Aizawa is right and she doesn't speak to deny it. She's not trying to enroll in U.A. High School like other students. However, there was a time long ago when she dreamed of becoming a hero. She wanted nothing more, and it was all because of those words.

Hotaru opens her eyes and looks up. Her gaze focuses past Aizawa and at the window. The cicada that was once there is gone just like that old dream of hers. She stands from her seat, taking her packet into her hands. Her eyes lock with Aizawa's.

"You're right, so there is nothing more I need to say." She answers with a lazy smile and bows lowly, dismissing herself. All Might follows behind her.

"Nezu," Midnight speaks up when they leave. "Are you sure you want to let her move on in the entrance exam?"

"It is clear she has malicious intentions." Cementoss joins in, staring at the door Hotaru left through. Snipe nods at his words along with Ectoplasm. "Considering her circumstances, it'll be dangerous to let her enroll."

"Safety of the students has always been one of, if not our top priority." Higari Maijima, the Pro Hero Power Loader, says. "We shouldn't let her move forward. She'll cause an uproar among everyone."

"What exactly are you up to, Nezu?" Sekijiro Kan, known as the Blood Hero, asks. "I'm starting to question your role as principal."

Nezu wordlessly reaches for his cup of tea. He brings it towards his mouth and takes a drink before setting it aside. He then smiles and rests his paws atop the table. Briefly, his round and dark eyes shut.

"I understand your concerns," Nezu begins. "Her background and where she came from are indeed worrying, as well as her upbringing we know little about, but that's precisely why it's up to us to help her! We're heroes, are we not? She has much potential and a caring heart."

"How exactly do you know this?" Aizawa frowns.

"Did you really think I wouldn't do any research at all before giving her the chance to enroll?" Nezu laughs, truly amused. He brings his paws up into the air. "Lately, I've been in contact with a Park Ranger."

"Huh?" Present Mic drags out.

* * *

"Alright, Young Aihara," All Might comes to a stop in his walk. His much larger form turns around and faces the girl. They have exited the building and are now standing just outside the school entry gates. It's sunset and the sky is painted a fiery array of colors.

Hotaru stares up at All Might with her droopy eyes. Her messy strands of hair blow in the soft breeze. The over-sized hoodie she's wearing over her junior high uniform covers most of her skirt, and one of her backpack straps hangs off her shoulder. She looks like she just rolled out of bed. All Might's teeth gleam almost blindingly as his brings his hand onto her shoulder.

"This is where I see you off." All Might says. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to seeing how you perform tomorrow. I'm sure you'll be a wonderful hero!"

"Huh," Hotaru chuckles under her breath, raising her hand up and brushing her bangs back. "All Might, I've thought you were smarter than that. You know who _he_ is, so you know who I am. If you're the number one hero, shouldn't you know a villain when you see one?"

All Might's smile merely grows wider. He gives her shoulder a squeeze before bringing his hands to his hips. What an amusing girl.

"I do know a villain when I see one, but I also know a hero when I see one, and a hero is what I see in you." He responds honestly, making her eyes widen and lips part.

"How can you say that?" Hotaru asks, her lips angling downwards. "Saying things like that with such certainty is really troubling, you know."

"I'm only speaking the truth my eyes see. Young Aihara, I've been at this for a long time." All Might's eyes soften. "You have a dream, don't you?"

"Once." She whispers and closes her eyes. "But I've let it go."

"Reach for it!" All Might clenches his fists in front of him in an encouraging way.

"Didn't you hear me? I said I let it go." Her brows furrow.

"Grab ahold of it again before it gets too far. If you remember it, I'm sure you are very passionate about it! Dreams aren't just accidental. They are birthed for a reason. You've created that dream, so don't let it go, and don't let nobody else stand in your way."

"It's already out of my reach." She shoves her hands into her pockets and reopens her eyes. "Just like it's out of my reach, it's also unrealistic. I'd compare it to a worm's dream of wanting to become a butterfly. Thank you for socializing with me. It's not every day I get the opportunity to speak with the Symbol of Peace."

"And it's not every day I get to speak with a person such as yourself." All Might beams and waves. "Be safe on your way home."

Hotaru bows lowly in thanks before walking around All Might's much larger form. She can easily feel his eyes on her. It's overpowering, and she slowly begins taking smaller steps. She swallows nervously and turns back around, seeing All Might making his way back towards the school building.

"Hey, All Might?" She calls out to him. The man turns around instantly and appears in front of her with super speed. She yelps in surprise with a skittish drop of sweat rolling down her face.

"Yes, Young Aihara?" He asks eagerly. Hotaru reaches in her pocket and pulls out her phone. Her cheeks gradually darken.

"...Can I get a picture with you?"

"Of course!"

Hotaru holds her phone up in front of her while All Might maneuvers to stand by her side. Once his face is within the cameras sight along with her own, she grins a wide grin that almost matches his own. When she taps the screen and her phone lets out a shuddering noise that signals the picture has been taken, she puts it back in her pocket. She turns to All Might and bows lowly yet again.

"Thank you." She speaks and before he can respond, she turns on her heels and takes off into a run towards the station. All Might scratches his cheek meekly as he stares after her. With that buried look in her eyes that's slowly been making itself known since they left the council room, he was sure she was going to ask for something else.

"Young Aihara, didn't you really want to ask for help?"

* * *

Hotaru stares at the screen of her phone. On the screen is displayed the picture she took with All Might just yesterday. This picture also serves as her new background. The bags beneath her eyes remarkably aren't noticeable as she tried to intimidate his iconic smile. Her eyes shut as a closed-lip smile graces her face.

"How amazing." She sighs to herself. _Her and the number one hero… an odd picture._ She's going to treasure it forever. However, she wasn't made aware All Might was also a teacher at U.A.. But either way, _meeting him was so very amazing._ Yawning loudly, she puts her phone in her pocket and rubs at her eyes. When she lowers her hands, she stares ahead at U.A. High School.

It's the dawn of a new day, and the practical part of the entrance exam will be happening very soon. Her eyes shut and she draws in a breath. She needs to pass this no matter what. There is no doubt in her mind that she can't pass it. Playing hero can't be all that hard, right? Her eyes open as she recalls the events of yesterday.

It's no surprise to her that the U.A. teachers and staff are wary of her wanting to attend the top hero academy. She was prepared for their hostility, but it is a little troubling that the two people she should be most cautious of are so supportive of her wanting to attend. _Nezu and All Might._

"I look like a hero, huh?" She whispers to herself. Just saying that out loud is heartwarming, and All Might saying it himself is even more so. How could they put that much faith in her? She wasn't born to be a hero and has no intention of becoming one. In fact, just standing in front of this hero school makes her cringe. Oh, how disappointed they are going to be once she does what she has planned to.

A hero is anything but what she looks like. She brings her hand in front of her, her silver orbs boring into it. Her hair is always frizzy, and her eyes are always so dull and sleepy. She wouldn't say she has a welcoming appearance either. She looks worn out and tired constantly. A thought strikes her, and she blinks. Her finger grazes against her chin. It sounds like she's also describing that Aizawa guy. _Disappointing._ She's comparing her appearance to an unkempt man.

"It's almost as if I was born for the sole purpose to disappoint." She mutters while stifling a yawn. Yawning has become such a nasty habit of hers.

"Really? Because I don't see anything disappointing." A voice draws her out of her thoughts. She looks around tentatively, growing confused when she doesn't see anyone. "Down here."

She looks down and her brows rise upwards. Standing beside her is a very tiny boy who can't be over four feet tall. He has a big head and even a big pair of eyes to go along with it. His dark purple hair resembles grapes. Is his hair related to his quirk? He looks so weird it's almost cute. Like a pug. He's looking at her like she's a diamond among coal. She recalls what he said and frowns.

Looking away from him, she eye's her attire. She's only wearing her school uniform that is very wrinkly. She actually slept in this and spilled coffee over it on her way here, which has left behind a huge stain. Her droopy eyes move back to the boy.

"I think you're misjudging me." She mutters with a drowsy smile, bringing her hand towards her messy hair to keep it out of her face when the wind blows. A blush grows on the boy's face and drool drips out of his opened-mouth smile. He looks the very definition of perverted.

"I think you're misjudging yourself." He responds.

"What are you trying to say?" She openly yawns and looks away from him in disinterest. She brings her arms high above her head and stretches them. They let out loud pops and cracks and she sighs in content, closing her eyes. Right when she begins to adjust her backpack hanging from her shoulders, he answers her question.

"You're beautiful."

Her whole body tenses up and her eyes grow large. His words echo in her head. _Beautiful?_ Only one person has ever called her that before besides her parents. There is heat building up in her cheeks which causes them to be stained a hot pink. She turns quickly, her silver orbs locking with his round dark ones. His grin grows wider and his eyes tremble in excitement as he clenches his fists in front of him.

"Score…!" He whispers cheerfully in success, referring to her bright blush. She coughs into her fist and looks in the other direction.

"T-thank you." She mumbles.

"I'm Minoru Mineta." He introduces, staring intently at her legs. His eyes roam upwards, taking their ever so sweet time. She can easily see him from the corner of her eye. This is the first time someone has ever "checked her out." It's definitely… _disconcerting_. "What's your name?"

"Hotaru Aihara. It's nice to meet you..." She pauses and looks up at the blue sky as she thinks briefly. Smiling, she looks back down at him. "Mineta-kun."

"It's nice to meet you too," He drools some more and takes a step closer to her. "Aihara-chan…"

He trails off as he stares up her skirt. _How bold of him._ All noise fades away except for the sound of the gusting wind. Nearby students gape in complete shock and look at the boy in disgust. Hotaru closes her eyes, laughing to herself as she brushes back her frizzy waves and curls.

"Sorry to disappoint," She says, taking steps towards the school building. "It's like I said though, disappointing others is my reason for living."

"Who wears shorts under their skirts?!" He yelps and jabs a finger at her in horror.

"Their attached." She replies through a yawn.

"That takes away the whole purpose of a skirt!" He runs after her.

"It's not my fault this is my school uniform."

"Your middle school must be nothing but torture…" He mutters more to himself than her. She imagines he's only saying that because of the "skorts" she's wearing.

"Can't say I disagree. These things do give me wedgies a lot."

 _Awkward silence._

"Really?" He tries to look up her skirt again with lustful eyes.

"Mineta-kun, if you want me to hurt you, all you have to do is ask."


	2. Starting Line

_**1emoncakes:** **I'm so happy you're loving it so far! Thanks so much for your review! :D**_

 _ **HotchocolatesandGingerbread :** **I'm glad you're liking it so far! Thanks for leaving a review, and I'm so happy you think so! Your words mean a lot!**_

 _ **Che:** **Thank you for the review, and I hope I can keep your interest! :D**_

•

 _ **Wow! Thank you so much to everyone who favorited and followed this story, and to those of you who have left a review! They really do inspire me and mean so much!**_

 _ **I really do love sharing my writing as I have a pretty wild imagination~**_

 _ **Thanks so much for reading!**_

 _ **I apologize for any errors!**_ (╯︵╰,)

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Starting Line

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* * *

Hotaru sits inside the large auditorium with Mineta occupying the seat next to hers. The two seem to be sticking together. _Or more like he's sticking to her._ It doesn't particularly bother her. Sitting on her other side is a very plain looking boy that looks like a NPC in video games, having brown hair and brown eyes along with a blank face. She pays him no mind.

Her droopy and bloodshot eyes look around the dark room that is filling with more and more aspiring to be U.A. students by the minute. The only source of light is coming from the large screens hanging over the stage. Even though there are three screens, the light they are giving off is dim. More than anything, they look like nightlights to her. She groans lightly and rubs at her eyes.

It doesn't seem like they are going to get started in the next ten minutes or so. That is more than enough time. She lowers her hands from her face and looks over at Mineta. The boy is staring intently at any girl who walks down the steps to take a seat in the rows below them. His eyes are definitely his worst enemy.

"Mineta-kun," Hotaru speaks groggily. He instantly looks over at her with a lewd grin.

"Yes, Aihara-chan?" He responds promptly.

"If I take a nap, can you wake me up when this thing starts?" She closes her eyes and sinks down further into her seat.

"Yes!" He cheers excitedly, obvious thoughts running through his mind.

"If you can do _just_ that," She grumbles through a yawn and holds up her pinky finger. "I may just hug you."

"You're the best, Aihara-chan." He coos happily with pink cheeks, wrapping his pinky finger around hers and not letting go.

"You're giving me too much credit."

It's only when she pries her hand from his grasp she is able to wrap her arms around her knees that she has brought up to her chest. Her chin rests on them, her head ducked as she uses them as a makeshift pillow. She wants to use this valuable time to take a short nap, but her mind is wide awake.

 _Chan._ That's the honorific Mineta adds to the end of her surname. He must see her as a friend already, or maybe he's still set on thinking she's beautiful. Either way, it's strange to her. Most people avoid her because of her appearance. However, he is quite the pervert from what she's seen so far. That fact alone explains the reasoning behind everything she's just thought.

She only allowed him to look up her skirt to dumbfound him. The only reason she hasn't hurt him yet is because she can't afford to cause a scene. She needs to become an official student before she can do anything like that. _Now if he touches her, then that's a different story._ If she reveals her quirk though, everyone will know just who she is.

She's always very careful when using her quirk, making sure no one who poses a threat is around for that very reason. The police and Pro Heroes would come for her if she uses it carelessly in the open. _That's why it's so very troubling that the Pro Heroes at this school are allowing her to go through with this exam._ Her lips downturn. They must be plotting something.

Of course, she already known of the possibility that this whole mission of hers could backfire, but this can very much confirm it. As long as she doesn't do anything malicious, things should be fine. She's already made it clear that she has bad intentions though. This exam will prove to be very interesting. Whether that's good or bad, she doesn't know. She's willing to risk it either way.

Soon she does doze off. All noise around her fades away as she dreams of rain. It's a strange dream. Lightning flashes and she squints, and thunder booms which makes her shrink back, then something poking her thigh makes her eyes crack open.

"It's starting, Aihara-chan." Mineta's voice penetrates her ears. She looks up, seeing bright lights turning on along the perimeter of the room. Each time a light flashes on, a drumming sound echoes. _Oh._ Well that would explain her dream. She brings her feet back onto the ground and stretches her arms in front of her with a yawn before turning to look at Mineta.

He's sitting with his hands in his lap, looking at her expectantly. His eyes are sparkling, and drool starts coming out of his opened-mouth smile. _He looks disgusting._ However, a promise is a promise. She holds out her arms and grunts when he launches himself into her with more force than necessary. His arms wrap around her waist tightly and he buries his face in her chest.

"Your boobs aren't very big, are they, Aihara-chan?" He asks, his breath traveling through the fabric of her shirt. Her eye twitches. He's nuzzling her chest like a cat.

"Disappointing, right?"

Irritation fills her to the brim. So much for trying to be nice and keep a promise. She shouldn't be surprised though. This is _Mineta._ It takes everything in her to restrain herself from seriously hurting him. He draws away with a yelp when a light electrical jerk travels between the two of them. The feeling resembles that of touching a cold metal doorknob in the middle of winter.

"What was that?!" He squeaks.

"What do you think?" She folds her arms over her chest, turning her gaze over to the stage.

"An electrical shock…" He whispers intensely, in very deep thought. "Something that happens when you meet your soulmate!"

She looks over at him with a look that reads "are you serious?" Her eyes enlarge when she sees blood coming out of his nose. With her face twisting in disgust, she looks away from him once again.

"Mineta-kun, you're delusional for sure." She mumbles, and he whines in discontent.

Spotlights shine onto the stage in front of her and a giant hole opens up in it. She watches with a dull expression as a platform rises to the surface with a familiar figure residing on top of it. _Present Mic._ Just how overkill is U.A?

"For all you examinee listeners tuning in, welcome to my show today!" The Pro Hero exclaims energetically and strikes a pose with a wide smile. "Everybody say 'hey!'"

Hotaru expected for everyone to cheer loudly, not for them to sit in silence. It actually catches her off guard. It's quieter than before he even came onto the stage. Her droopy eyes look around and she brings her hand over her mouth, yawning. If things continue like this she'll fall asleep, only this time against her will. Her earlier nap didn't do much at all. She feels more tired from it.

"What a refined response." Present Mic shivers at the silence before moving on and posing as he speaks per usual. "Then I'll quickly present to you the rundown on the practical exam! Are you ready?! Yeah!"

More silence. Hotaru isn't sure whether she should laugh at or feel pity for Present Mic. Abruptly, muttering reaches her ears. She doesn't turn around to see who it's coming from, but whoever it is sounds very happy and awestruck as they gush over Present Mic. Someone else then grumbles a "shut up." Her lips twitch downwards.

"As it says in the application requirements, you listeners will be conducting ten-minute mock urban battles after this!" Present Mic continues, and a digital map appears on the screen behind him, showing their current location along with the different battle centers. "You can bring whatever you want with you. After the presentation, you'll head to the specified battle center, okay?"

Hotaru reaches for her exam ticket. She ignores the awful picture of her that looks like a mugshot and reads it over. It looks like she is assigned to Battle Center D. She peeks at Mineta's card, seeing he's assigned to the same battle center as her.

"Okay?!" Present Mic repeats almost desperately. Hotaru lowers her ticket and stares at the stage. She knows how this will go. He'll keep repeating "okay" until someone responds, right? His loud voice is giving her a headache. She decides to do both him and her a favor.

"Okay!" She yells out while ironically yawning, raising her hand in the air in acknowledgment. His eyes move to her form and he grins widely, pointing both fingers in her direction which causes a spotlight to shine onto her. "Huh?"

"Let me hear you say it louder!"

The muscle in her right eye twitches as she feels countless eyes on her. He's got to be messing with her, right? Or is this some sort of test? This giant spotlight shining onto her is blindingly bright. It's giving her eye strain. She wants to yell "no," but that will cause her to be even more in the center of attention. If she cooperates it'll turn off, right?

"Okay!" She yells even louder.

"With a smile!" Present Mic spins, waving his arms at her dramatically. _Oh, he's most definitely messing with her._ She gazes at him with a deep frown and his sunglasses gleam. Although she can't see his eyes, she knows his gaze isn't falling from her own.

"Aihara-chan…" Mineta whispers nervously at her almost villainous glare and lack of response. She isn't even aware she is glaring until she notices the people sitting around her looking at her apprehensively.

She's not particularly angry, in fact, she doesn't get angry much. Though, Mineta has been testing her. She was just merely trying to intimidate the Pro Hero into leaving her alone. It was in vain of course. Drawing in a deep breath, she closes her eyes. There is nothing she can do about this situation she dragged herself into. When she opens her eyes, she grins a wide and false grin.

"Okay!" She gives a thumb up for emphasis.

"Yeah!" Present Mic grins, then the screen behind him changes to display a battle center along with the faux villains they will be fighting. Hotaru's hand drops back into her lap and her smile fades.

"Alright!" Present Mic continues like nothing happened. Though, he does sound livelier than before. "Three different types of faux villains are stationed in each battle center. You earn points based on their level of difficulty. Your goal, dear listeners, is to use your Quirks to earn points by immobilizing the faux villains. Of course, attacking other examinees and any other unheroic actions are prohibited!"

"May I ask a question?" The person sitting directly behind Hotaru calls out and stands.

"Okay!" Present Mic points at him, giving him permission to ask his question. The spotlight that was once shining on Hotaru is now shining on him.

"On the printout, there are four types of villains. If that is a misprint, then U.A., the most prestigious school in Japan, should be ashamed of that foolish mistake. We examinees are here in this place because we wish to be molded into exemplary heroes. In addition, you over there with the curly hair," His already stern voice grows even more harsh. "You've been muttering this whole time. It's distracting! If you're here on a pleasure trip, then you should leave immediately!"

"I-I'm sorry…" The boy with the curly hair apologizes in fright. People laugh at him.

Hotaru's eyes shut in exasperation. Just who is this guy? He's not a teacher or part of the staff, so he has no right to order other students around. This guy must be very sure of himself.

"Furthermore, you with the frizzy hair!" The boy continues. Hotaru knows he's addressing her. She looks over her shoulder, seeing it's a boy with glasses talking. He looks severe with his extremely angular features. "You've been yawning nonstop. U.A. is not the place to take naps! You too should also leave immediately if you only plan to sleep!"

"Can I ask you," Hotaru begins, her silver eyes locking with his blue ones. "Who you think you are, to tell me what to do? What right do you have to tell anyone in this room what to do? You're a student like I am, right? We are on equal ground. I don't have to," She yawns loudly. "Listen to you."

Now it's his turn to get laughed at. Hotaru's eyes then lock with the green eyes of the curly haired boy sitting a few rows up. He's looking at her with wide eyes, appearing very nervous under her gaze. She gives a sluggish two fingered salute before turning back around in her seat, ignoring the glare the glasses boy is giving her.

"Okay, okay, Examinee Number 7111." Present Mic waves his hands in a calming gesture, looking a little relieved at the fact Hotaru only used words to counter. "Thanks for the great message. The fourth type of villain is worth zero points. That guy's an obstacle, so to speak. There's one in every battle center, an obstacle that will go crazy in narrow spaces. It's not impossible to defeat, but there's no reason to defeat it, either. I recommend that you listeners try to avoid it."

"Thank you very much!" The glasses boy bows. "Please excuse the interruption!" He sits down with perfect posture and the spotlight fades.

"That's all from me! Finally, I'll give you listeners a present—our school motto! The hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said, 'a true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes.' Go beyond. Plus Ultra!" Present Mic exclaims. "Now, everyone, good luck suffering!"

* * *

" _A true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes."_

Hotaru gazes at the battle center in front of her, those words replaying repeatedly in her head. She's standing in the far back of the crowd of people with her arms crossed. After the presentation was over, everyone had to change into more "active gear" before taking the bus over here. In the application requirements, it did say to bring an extra set of clothes, so her attire is now different.

She's wearing a black tracksuit. The pants she is wearing has a single white line traveling up both of her legs, and her tennis shoes are white to match. Her long sleeved black shirt is tucked sloppily into her pants. Her dark hair is in a messy half up top knot, looking as if a toddler did it. She clasps her hands behind her back, extending her arms and stretching to loosen herself up. Her eyes travel over the people in front of her.

The majority of people are confident, but the other small portion are tense, some even quivering in their nervous state. Hearing a sudden high-pitched shriek along with a yelp, her eyes move over just in time to see Mineta get backhanded across the face by a girl. The small boy falls over with steam rising from his cheek. Hotaru laughs silently to herself before looking back at the battle center. He must have done something perverted. How amusing. It seems he has already moved on from her.

From what she can see so far, the battle center is a perfect replica of an urban city. It's huge, but not nearly the size of the city of Musutafu. Even so, Hotaru can't believe that there are even more of these battle centers on campus. _U.A. is extremely vast,_ and to think there is even more this campus has to offer.

Her eyes shut, and she draws in a deep breath through her nose, her shoulders rising. The organ in her chest is pounding faster than normal. She wouldn't say she's nervous, more like she's anxious to get started. She's sure she will pass. After all, Nezu and All Might are oddly on her side, right? Playing hero will be easy. But playing hero isn't really the goal here, is it?

From what she gathered from the presentation, it seems this test is more about how to use quirks in battle. They are only fighting robots. Her lips curve upwards. Yes, this will be an easy "A." Fighting is something villains specialize in as well.

"Okay, start!" The loud voice of Present Mic sounds out suddenly. Hotaru looks around, squinting against the sun as her eyes land on an observation tower. Present Mic is standing atop it, looking like a small dot from her position. "What's wrong? There are no countdowns in real fights! Run, run! The die has been cast, you know!"

Hotaru looks back at the battle center, seeing the large door leading into it now open. Her eyes widen briefly when she sees everyone has already charged in. _Oops._ She takes off in a run, trailing behind everybody.

This is a terrible start for her. Everyone is so far ahead and her already drowsy body is falling more behind. It looks like she's going to have to put in more effort than she originally thought. She really detests using so much energy. She'll have to go beyond… _Plus Ultra_. How disappointing it is that she even has to say that. _If only her sleep schedule wasn't so out of whack—_

A crashing noise makes her come to a hasty stop. She brings her arms defensively in front of her face when small rubble and debris plunge down onto her. Her eyes shut instinctively at the cloud of dust swallowing her up. With an annoyed breath, she rubs at her eyes to get rid of the light stinging sensation caused by the powder. When she lowers her fists and reopens her eyes, she sees a green robot in front of her.

"One point?" She mutters under her breath, unimpressed. She should just skip over this faux villain to find ones worth three points. This one looks like a waste of time. It's glowing red eye zooms in on her and locks on.

"Target acquired. I'll kill you!" The faux villain's robotic voice calls out. It begins barreling towards her, its single wheel leaving skid marks on the road and screeching loudly. _Kill her?_

"Nice joke." She outstretches her arm in front of her, her palm facing the incoming robot.

Her eyes faintly shimmer cyan. Blue electricity gathers in her palm. She runs towards the advancing robot. It swings its arm and she ducks under it, closing the gap and pressing her palm flat against it. She can feel the machine pulsate violently under her hand as her electricity travels into it. Smoke starts flooding out of any openings and it crumbles to the ground. She takes a few steps back. As soon as it hits the concrete below, it explodes into a cloud of fire and smoke.

"You don't seem to handle lightning very well." Her eyes return to their normal color as the blue electricity fades. "But then again, it'd be weird if you did."

That's one point, and one point is definitely not enough. A small sigh escapes her lips. She needs to hurry if she wants to pass. This test is only ten minutes, so time is very limited, and just like time is limited, she's sure there is also a limited number of robots. She takes off into a run with a small smile, thinking to herself.

That robot was made of metal, a perfect conductor. It's highly likely that the other robots are made of the same material. She can't help but to sigh aloud in bliss at how lucky she is. These faux villains are too easy. Her feet carry her in the direction she hears the most noise coming from. As soon as she reaches her location, she blinks at all the robots.

A lot of examinees are present and fighting them, and quite a few of them are already defeated or stuck in place by something gooey and purple. This area is overflowing with robots and examinees. It looks like this is the location where she'll find the most faux villains. What she does next is really dirty, but, she needs the points.

She darts towards the closest three-point robot. It's back is facing her and is busy fighting another examinee. Once she closes in, she presses her hand against its back and zaps it dead. The person fighting it complains loudly and curses her. She waves her hand in a half-baked apology and moves on to her next target.

Her goal is to try to aim for the ones worth only three points. She's not the only one with that idea though. A lot of people are aiming for the faux villains worth more points, some even defeating them before she gets to steal the kill, so she's forced to take on lesser ones. It doesn't take long for her to start sweating and breathing heavily.

The villains worth three points of course are harder to deal with. Although they are bigger, they are faster and have more precise and dangerous attacks. No wonder why she dodged that easy one-point villain's attack so easily earlier. Running back and forth and down different roads and alleys is taking its toll. She is not athletic at all. When was the last time she worked out even? She can't recall.

She electrocutes a villain worth two points before bending over and placing both hands on her knees. Her breaths come in deeply and out heavily. So much running has caused a side stitch. Her hand rubs against the stupid cramp. She didn't realize she was _this_ out of shape. This is not good at all. It's clear she spoke too soon about this being easy.

Straightening up, she looks around at all the chaos surrounding her. Defeated robots are sprawled out everywhere and examinees use their quirks to fight incoming ones. Her eyes move down to her hand.

She's been cautious about using her quirk, so cautious she's sure people have her quirk mistaken for something else. So far, her quirk has been looking like she has the ability to make things explode upon contact. However, people haven't been paying attention to her or anyone else for that matter. Everyone is so focused on themselves.

Her quirk is suitable for long range combat, she can shoot lightning in any direction she desires, but she hasn't been taking advantage of that. Countless examinees have been and still are running around and cutting her off, and she doesn't want to risk accidently electrocuting someone. That would count as a villainous act on her part, right? That's prohibited. Even if she does hit someone on accident, she can guarantee it won't be treated as one.

Her lips downturn. It's also clear that being cautious has also become a habit of hers. Her fingers curl into a fist. _It's okay,_ she mentally says to herself _._ Using her quirk here won't cause her any trouble. She has permission to use it. If anything, she should be happy to get the chance to use it openly.

Her eyes shut, and she wipes sweat from her brow. She's starting to get hot. It's not posing a major problem at the moment though. Her biggest problem is how out of shape she is. _How many points does she have again?_ She has twenty-two if she counted right. _Is that enough?_

"Twenty-eight points!" Someone yells out before another voice follows.

"Thirty points!"

"Three minutes left!" Present Mic's loud voice then echoes.

She sucks in a breath. Twenty-two points is obviously not enough. _Disappointing._ The stress is starting to set in. U.A. can only accept so many people, and this isn't the only battle center being used to take the exam.

"Plus Ultra." Hotaru reminds herself, running towards the closest faux villain she sees. She generates lightning in her palm. Once she sees no one in her path, she gets ready to shoot it forward. Before she can, a building in front of her crumbles to the ground. She staggers in her run and slows down, staring with wide eyes at the scene in front of her.

The ground below her trembles as if an earthquake is happening. Smoke shoots into the sky when a building collapses. A colossal robot is staring down at her and the other examinees, its giant arms using the tops of the buildings like they are armrests. Hotaru surprisingly pales. The colossal robot raises its arm high before clenching its fist and slamming it into the ground. Just its punch alone causes a huge crater in the ground and a strong gust of wind that nearly blows her away.

"Woah," Hotaru breathes out, staring at the giant robot. This thing is way stronger than the rest, _way bigger than the rest_. This must be the faux villain worth zero points. She takes a step back in unease and people around her scream bloody murder, running in the opposite direction.

" _That guy's an obstacle, so to speak. There's one in every battle center, an obstacle that will go crazy in narrow spaces. It's not impossible to defeat, but there's no reason to defeat it, either. I recommend that you listeners try to avoid it."_

There is no reason for her to take on that thing. It's worth zero points, not to mention that thing can squash her like she's an ant. If it's recommended to avoid it, she's going to do just that. Even if it wasn't recommended, she still would stay clear of it. What's even the point of that thing? She begins to turn around and run in the opposite direction until her eyes catch sight of purple.

"Mineta-kun?" Hotaru whispers, blanching at the sight in front of her. The boy has thick tears streaming down his face and he's screaming his lungs off as he pulls the purple spheres off his head, throwing them at the colossal robot. Blood is coming out of his scalp. The spheres stick to the robot, not seeming to do anything other than just that.

Why isn't he running? _The robot is going to run him over if he doesn't move—_ wait. Hotaru rubs at her tired eyes and squints hard. She blinks multiple times. He is running. _Running backwards as he attacks._ People run past her as she merely stands there and gazes at Mineta in shock. Her already wide eyes widen further when the purple spheres sticking to the wheels of the robot also stick to the concrete, causing it to be stuck in one place.

All she can think is "wow." Mineta seems to have everything under control even though he's in hysterics. She cannot deny that she is impressed. It's a shame that thing isn't worth any points, because he sure does deserve a heck of a lot for stopping its movement like that. _Alright, she really needs to go get more points now._ When she looks away, Mineta's screams grow even louder, prompting her too look back at him.

The robot is falling forward and Mineta is in its path. There is no way he'll be able to avoid its large body. Hotaru takes a few steps back, watching as he runs for his life. She turns and runs, not wanting to see the sight of that poor boy's death. She's moving slow. Her body is giving off the sensation that it's fighting against her. It feels heavy, trying to force her to turn around. What she's doing, running away, it isn't right. Even _she_ can acknowledge that. Mineta's voice along with someone else's echoes in her head.

" _You're beautiful."_

She skids to a stop, her teeth gritting. Her eyes squeeze shut and her lower lips trembles. The organ in her chest tightens painfully. Distant memories rise to the surface. Her silver orbs fly open and before she knows it, she's running full speed towards Mineta. Her feet are moving on their own, almost as if she has no control over them. No, she doesn't have any control over them at all. This is instinct.

"Mineta!" She yells his name, not bothering to add the honorific. Even though he's not within reach, she reaches for him. At her loud voice, his eyes lock onto hers.

"Aihara!" He sobs loudly. "I don't wanna die! This exam is stupid! Why did that thing have to appear by me?! Why is it so big?! Why is my life so miserable?!"

"Hold on—!" She begins to call out, only to grunt when a body rams into hers and sends her backwards.

She lands on her backside with a painful thud. Whoever just ran into her doesn't even bother to stop and help her, merely continuing to scream and run away from the villain-bot. Not even an apology comes from their mouth. The colossal robot blocks out the sun as it continues to fall, it's shadow covering her. Her pulse races in her ears.

There is no way she's going to make it to him in time. Even if she does reach him, she'll end up being crushed along with him. What should she do? What _can_ she do? She begins panicking inwardly and fear fills her eyes that don't once break away from Mineta's own. Her hand tangles into her hair. _Think, think, think_. Then a thought strikes her. There is one thing she can do, but if she does, she'll be going against _his_ wishes. _She won't pass and—_

 _"Taru!"_

Lightning begins sparking to life around her as she stands. Her body begins to emit a faint blue glow, her dark hair now staticky and crinkled. Her curl and waves patterns now look like lightning bolt ones. She draws in a sharp breath. Her electric blue eyes land on Mineta who is crying waterfalls. She sprints forward, moving with intensified speed. She's by his side in a moment.

Her fingers mimic the shape of a gun. She raises her hand, taking aim at the colossal faux villain. Thunder rumbles to life at the sudden increase in pressure. The air surrounding her rises to dangerously high temperatures when lighting shoots out of her fingertips. She staggers backwards with a laborious gasp.

 _1,000,000,000 volts._

The bolt rams into the villain-bot, burning a hole through it and shooting out its other side. Blue electricity takes over its body, making different parts of it explode. The impact changes the direction of it's fall, making it start to fall backwards instead. It tumbles to the ground with a loud crash and Hotaru's hand drops back to her side. The glow around her fades away and her hair looks even more frizzy than before. Screams then reach her ears.

"L-Lightning Beast!"

"A villain?!"

"What the heck?!"

Hotaru blocks out the panicking voices and her vision blurs. Sweat glides down her temple and cheek, dripping off her chin. It feels almost as if she's scorching. She swallows thickly and the heel of her hand presses against her forehead. Her head feels light and her muscles cramp achingly.

"A-Aihara?" Mineta's quivering voice reaches her ears. If she were looking at him, she would see how pale in fear he is and how he's standing in his own puddle of urine.

"Are you okay?" She whispers in question, her body wavering.

"U-uh-huh," He nods his head comically fast.

Her hand moves over her mouth when she coughs, and the bitter thick taste of blood makes itself known. As if someone flicked off a power switch, her body goes limp. Everything starts to blur together and the sound of Mineta's panicked cries drift far away.

Did she really just throw away her chances to get into U.A., and use every ounce of her strength, to save a perverted boy? _What in the world… is wrong with her?_ That far off and familiar voice seems to whisper in her ear. Her eyelids slowly lower until all she sees is black. Why is she even trying to get into this school? What is she even doing here? She knows the answer. Everything she's done and is doing, that old dream of hers, everything is because of him.

 _Shoto Todoroki._

* * *

*Present Mic voice*

 **Hotaru Aihara**

 **Quirk** : Lightning Manipulation!

She's able to discharge and shoot lightning out of her body! She can regulate the voltage discharged and speed. However, the higher the voltage, the higher the recoil! She suffers from heat exhaustion when over exerting herself!

 **Super Moves:**

 **Lightning Beast** \- By generating lightning inside her own body and channeling it through her muscles, she's able to increase her movement speed! How much she can increase her speed depends on the terrain. She can only use it for short periods of time as it strains her body and causes her to overheat faster, bringing her closer to her limit! It can also cause internal bleeding if overexerted!

 **Thunderbolt** \- This 1,000,000,000-voltage strike is her max voltage and creates a loud sound of thunder. Every time she uses it she passes out afterwards as it causes her to reach her limit in an instant. In other words, her body enters a safe mode to cool off, such as an automatic overheating shutdown feature on a laptop! Think of her as a battery! Once her body temperature regulates, she wakes up. It's a last resort attack! Or as Hotaru likes to say, it's "do or bolt!"

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Villain

❤•○●○•❤

"What's your name?" Shoto asks.

"Hotaru Aihara."

Realization dawns on him.

"Hotaru is a girl's name." Shoto states.

"Why would I have a guy's name?" Hotaru raises a brow and Shoto can slowly feel his cheeks warming up. Hotaru gasps and _her_ cheeks become scorching hot as well. "I-I'm a girl!"

"Sorry!"

* * *

 _ **A/N: I'm probably not going to make a habit of including next chapter sneak peeks. This is my first time ever doing one, but I just thought it would be cool for this upcoming chapter. c:**_

 _ **Thoughts, suggestions, concerns?**_

 _ **Feel free to let me know!**_

 _ **Once again, thank you for reading!**_ ≧◡≦


	3. Villain: Part One

**HotchocolatesandGingerbread : **Thank you very much! I try my best, so your words mean a lot!

 **Oblivious ninja IJ : **Omg, haha! I cringed, but that may just happen! I have plans for Hotaru and Kaminari. I have plans with Hotaru and everyone, really. c:

 **xOxO Lost Angel OxOx : **I'm glad this story has caught your interest! I apologize for my misspellings, thank you for telling me about them. I'm not very good at proof reading, apparently. I went back and corrected any errors I found, hopefully I got all of them! I'll read them over again just to be sure, though!

 **fencer29 : **Thank you! And indeed he should!

 **AppropriateLlama : **Thank you so much! I'm excited write even more and add on to this!

 **MoonLunacy : **Omg, thank you so so much! I'm excited for you to find out more about Hotaru and watch as she grows even more as a character. I have so many plans for her! :D

•

 **Thank you so much again to everyone who followed and favorited this story, and reviewed especially!**

 **I love hearing everyone's thoughts.** ＼(*^▽^*)/

 **I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, which I have decided to split into two parts.**

 **It's kind of series of short stories, which is new for me, but I hope you enjoy it either way!**

 **Also, I included another** •sneak peek• **at the end of this chapter. I'm not sure if anyone is trying to avoid those, so I'm just giving a heads up.**

 **I apologize in advance for any errors.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Villain: Part One

 _"_ _What made you want to be a hero?"_

❤•○●○•❤

Azure Skies, and Your Eyes

A young boy wipes at his eyes, sniffling as he stares up at his mother. His short hair is split evenly down the middle, the right side being white while the other half is red. His mother smiles warmly from her crouched position directly in front of him, cupping his cheek in her hand. He fails to notice the force behind that simple smile.

"B-But dad will—" The young boy starts, his voice quivering. His mother cuts him off with the shake of her head. The warm breezes ruffles up her long white hair and the afternoon sun causes her grey eyes to glisten.

"Don't worry about him. Go on and play." She leans forward and presses her lips against his forehead. "Make friends, play hero, collect bugs. Right now, you can do whatever you want. Alright, Shoto?"

Shoto stares at his mom through his tears. The sincerity in her eyes make his tense body relax. Slowly, he smiles and nods his head. His mother smiles genuinely at the sight of his own. She nudges him towards the present park, watching as he takes his first steps towards the playground. Her heart races anxiously as he gets further away.

 _Everything will be fine,_ she keeps repeating to herself. Her arms unconsciously wrap around her midsection, her fingers curling into her shirt. _We'll get home before Enji. He'll never know they left. He'll never know this happened. He'll never know a thing._

She sucks in a rickety breath, her eyes never leaving Shoto. Her eyes broaden in bewilderment when he changes direction. Instead of heading towards the playground bustling with preschoolers his age, he's heading towards the nearby pond that is being occupied by a young boy.

Shoto slowly approaches the young boy from behind. His interest was caught from the fact that he is alone like himself. He comes to a stop behind him, brows raising when he notices the boy is lacking shoes.

His blackish-brown hair is the color of dark toffee. If not for the sunlight peeking through the trees causing some strands to appear mahogany and gold, he would believe his hair to be black. It's short and messy, waves and curls protruding in all directions. Running a brush through it seems impossible. He's wearing a white shirt and blue shorts. The boy suddenly turns around, staring at him with wide and silvery eyes that resemble storm clouds. Shoto tenses up, not expecting the boy to sense his presence so fast and before he could even say hi.

"Hi—" The silver-eyed boy starts in excitement only to stop and frown. The boy standing in front of him has a unique appearance. Hair that is white on one side and red on the other, one grey eye on the right and one turquoise one on the left. He's wearing a mint green shirt and grey shorts. His unique appearance isn't really what catches his attention, it's mainly his bottom eyelids that are flushed and swollen from tears.

"Your eyes..." The silver-eyed boy begins almost as if he is hypnotized. He suddenly shakes his head before tilting it curiously. "Why are you over here?"

"I… uh," Shoto brings his hand to the back of his neck. He's barely able to suppress a yelp when the boy stands up and leans towards him with narrowed eyes.

"Did those dunderheads at the playground bully you?" He asks, cheeks puffed out and now glaring at said playground. All the kids are running around and showing off their quirks. "I can beat them up for you if you want."

"N-no!" Shoto quickly answers, sweat forming on his temple. "I just noticed you over here alone and thought… over here looked more interesting."

Shoto's body is tense. He can't help but to feel timid. This is the first time he's actually talking to somebody his age. All of his siblings are older than him and he could never interact normally with them because of his father. He quivers at the thought of his father and his eyes involuntarily wander back to his mother who is now sitting on a bench. She's hunched over and talking on the phone. The silver-eyed boy's voice makes him look back over at him.

"Oh." He blinks, his curious eyes now back on him. He draws in a sharp breath and his cheeks flush as he leans closer to Shoto. His silver eyes sparkle intensely. "T-then, do you like fish?! Do you want to feed them with me!?"

"Yes!" Shoto instantly responds, his own cheeks darkening in excitement. He has a pond occupied with koi fish at his house but can never admire it. Although he's not sure whether he likes fish or not, he wants to hang out with this person. Just maybe he can make his very first friend.

"Yipee!" The silver-eyed boy cheers, jumping and punching his fist skyward happily. He reaches into his pockets. "Here's some fish food— oh." A dull expression overtakes his face as he turns his pockets inside out. He looks back over at Shoto. "You wouldn't happen to have a quarter, would you?"

"No. Sorry."

"It's okay." The silver-eyed boy waves him off with a grin. "I know how to get some without a quarter."

Before Shoto can question how, the boy runs over to a nearby coin operated fish food dispenser. The boy suddenly starts banging his fists down on top of it repeatedly and Shoto pales. In a panicked frenzy, Shoto runs over.

"W-wait! Isn't that breaking the law?" Shoto stutters out, making the silver-eyed boy pause.

"Uh…" The silver-eyed boy brings his finger to his chin, staring up at the blue sky through the wisteria branches. "Kinda? Oh! It worked!"

Shoto sweat-drops, sighing to himself. If a hero were here they would lecture the boy for sure. He stares at the silver-eyed boy with a slight pout as he cups his hands together, catching all the tiny fish food pellets that are falling out of the machine. The silver-eyed boy walks over to him with a grin, and Shoto reluctantly cups his hands so he can get some fish food. He feels like a villain accepting this.

"Don't worry. I always leave some paper money under that rock." The silver-eyed boy laughs at the expression on Shoto's face, pointing at a nearby boulder. A pair of shoes are next to it along with a drawstring bag. Just barely, Shoto can make out some paper money sticking out from underneath it. It's obvious the silver-eyed boy is telling the truth despite how strange it sounds.

"Wouldn't someone just steal that?" Shoto mutters in question, eyeing the money. His heterochromia eyes meet his silver ones.

"Well you're the only one who knows about it." The boy replies quickly, looking dreadful at the thought of someone stealing the money. "And the Park Ranger knows about it too! You won't tell anybody else about it, will you?"

"I won't."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Shoto holds out his pinky finger, making the silver-eyed boy grin with rosey cheeks. He holds up his pinky finger too and wraps it around Shoto's tightly.

Instantly after the two seal their promise, they sit down cross legged at the edge of the pond. Shoto glances at the boy next to him after he tosses some pellets into the water. Every time a koi eats one, his silver eyes sparkle and a grin overtakes his face. He glances over at the playground and remembers how he was sitting over here alone before he showed up.

"So," Shoto starts, making silver eyes meet his. "Are you always over here instead of on the playground?"

"Yeah." The boy nods, looking over at the playground with a frown. "All they do over there is talk about heroes."

"You don't like heroes?" Shoto asks in shock, almost looking offended. "Why not?"

"Well it's not that I don't like them…" The boy sighs to himself. Suddenly he looks very hesitant. "They're cool but… it's kinda hard to explain."

"Oh." Shoto blinks, his eyes saddening somewhat. He looks away from him and back at the pond.

The koi fish coming to the surface to eat are causing ripples to form in the water, making the lilies floating about sway and wobble. He stares at the sparkling water and at the rocks sunken to the bottom. They are covered in algae. Maybe this boy's situation is similar to his own.

Shoto respects his father's abilities as a hero. He's cool in his eyes, being the number two hero and only second to All Might, the number one hero. But that's all he respects about him. As a father, he loathes him. He's the worst possible kind of man and every child's worst nightmare as a parent. Out in public he's the ideal hero, but at home and behinds the scenes he's almost like a villain.

The silver-eyed boy stares at Shoto, noticing how his expression is somewhere in between sad and frightened. His heterochromia eyes are downcast and trembling, tears building up in them. He stares at his eyes and begins to frown himself. His silver orbs move downcast too as his heart feels heavy. _Did his earlier comment about heroes upset him?_ He feels guilty suddenly.

"All Might is pretty cool though," He says. Instantly, Shoto's eyes light up which causes his grin to grow even wider as relief floods into him.

"Yeah!" Shoto nods happily as he thinks about the Symbol of Peace in awe. "Did you see the video where he saved all of those people?"

"Y-yeah! He's so amazing!" The silver-eyed boy nods happily. However, a nervous drop of sweat forms on his temple and his smile falters at the lie he just told. Shaking his head, he quickly changes the uncomfortable subject. "What's your favorite fish? Mine is that one!"

Shoto follows the boy's now pointing finger, seeing it aimed at a fish smaller than the rest. It has a long tail and is primarily blue, with specks of red and gray, even white. It doesn't look like a koi fish like the rest. If he was more knowledgeable with fish, he would know that particular one is called a "shubunkin." Shoto's eyes look over the many fish present.

"My favorite fish…?" He murmurs to himself as he tries to determine just that. He's not sure how he should determine which fish is his favorite. Does he pick the one most appealing to him? Hopefully so, because that's what he does. "That one."

The silver-eyed boy looks at the fish Shoto is pointing at, his mouth forming an "o" shape. He's pointing at a koi with long and flowing fins. It's on the larger side, and has gray and shining scales.

"Really?" The silver-eyed boy gushes and looks at Shoto. "But that fish is so mean!"

"Mean?" Shoto questions, blinking.

"Yes!" He nods and looks back at the gray fish. "He beats up the other fish."

"Why?"

"Because…" The silver-eyed boy looks around suddenly to make sure no one is nearby. He motions for Shoto to come closer and he does. Cupping his hands, the boy leans closer to whisper in Shoto's ear. "Breeding. As in…"

"Ew!" Shoto's face twists in disgust and he leans away. The silver-eyed boy nods in agreement, throwing his arms into the air.

"I know! That's what the Park Ranger told me when I asked him about it!"

"Can I pick a different favorite fish?" Shoto mutters in question, making the silver-eyed boy laugh and fall backwards. Shoto makes a pouting face.

"If you want to!" The boy sits back up after he's done laughing, wiping happy tears from the corner of his eyes. "I always change which fish is my favorite, so you can too!"

Shoto smiles, his chest growing warm when he actually feels happy. For once he has forgotten about his father as he smiles along with his new friend. He nearly gasps as he realizes something. He doesn't even know his friend's name.

"What's your name?" Shoto asks suddenly.

"Hotaru Aihara." The silver-eyed boy grins up at him.

 _Hotaru Aihara._ Aihara is his family name. Hotaru is his first name. _Wait._ Realization dawns on Shoto.

"Hotaru is a girl's name." Shoto states.

"Why would I have a guy's name?" Hotaru raises a brow and Shoto can slowly feel his cheeks warming up. Hotaru gasps and _her_ cheeks become scorching hot as well. Whining loudly, she brings her fists down repeatedly on his feet enclosed in his shoes. "I-I'm a girl!"

"Sorry!" Shoto apologizes as she continues to punch his feet. It doesn't hurt at all. If that's the hardest she can punch, she's actually kind of weak. Soon she begins growling and rolling back and forth across the ground while holding onto her feet uncharacteristically. _She's…_ Shoto begins laughing. _Funny. Very funny._

"Well, I told you my name, so what's yours?" Hotaru sits on her knees, frowning up at him.

"Shoto Todoroki." He answers through his laughter.

"Alright then, Shoto!" She points behind her and at the large pond. "Let's go on an adventure!"

"An adventure?" Shoto repeats, tilting his head curiously.

"Yes." Hotaru brings her hands to her hips and nods. "An adventure to feed every single fish in this pond! It'd be cruel only to feed the ones over here." Before he can respond, she suddenly clasps her hands in front of her. "Oh, sorry! Was it okay for me to call you Shoto?" She looks to the side with a blush. "I-I'm confused with honorifics still. See my mama is from America and she doesn't use honorifics so I dunno really the proper way to address someone. Should I call you Todoroki-san? Chan? Or should I use kun? Mister Todor—?"

"Shoto is fine." Shoto smiles, making her smile once again. "What should I call you?"

"You can call me whatever you want." Hotaru hops onto her feet.

"Can I call you Taru, then?"

"Taru?" Hotaru repeats, her cheeks growing dark as she stares at Shoto. Her eyes sparkle as she grins. "Mhm!"

"Shoto!" A voice calls out.

Hotaru looks to the side and in the direction the voice came from, seeing a woman with beautiful snow-white hair waving over Shoto. That must be Shoto's mother. Her gray eyes look panicked almost. She then looks at Shoto, seeing his eyes now trembling while moisture builds up in them. Hotaru's lips downturn and her own eyes sadden. Her fingers quiver as they grip her shirt tightly.

"I got to go!" Shoto quickly announces, taking off into a fast run and towards his mom. Hotaru outstretches her arm towards him as if to somehow drag him back. She bites down on the inside of her cheek. Right when Shoto comes to a stop in front of his mom, Hotaru's eyes squeeze shut and she yells out.

"Y-your eyes are pretty!"

Hotaru slowly opens her eyes while blood rushes into her cheeks. Her loud voice makes Shoto turn around to look at her. Their eyes meet and Hotaru gulps. A light dusting of pink sprouts out across Shoto's face. His head ducks, and his hair shields his eyes and most of his face from her as if he's embarrassed. He lightly scratches his cheek, his lips moving and releasing words she can't hear or read.

His mom quickly scoups Shoto up in her arms, holding him close as she scurries away. Her lips tug upwards as she looks over her shoulder at Hotaru before looking at Shoto once again. Her next words make Shoto's entire face turn red. He buries his face in her shoulder, trying to hide his excessive blush.

"You think her eyes are pretty too, Shoto?" She laughs softly. "Look at you, picking up girls already. You're quite the ladies man."

"M-mom!"

Different Worlds, Same Starry Sky

A rare silence hovers in the air of Musutafu City. It's dangerously late in the night. The sun that set long ago took most of its warmth with it, leaving a spine-tingling chill in the air. In a thin and dark alley, Hotaru runs, making nearby rats scatter and duck away behind bags of trash. Her silvery eyes stare upwards and at the countless stars in the night sky.

"Shoto," She whispers out between her breaths. A smiles forms on her face, however, it is almost instantly replaced with a frown. She wonders why he had to leave so suddenly, why he always looked like he was about to cry, and where he had to go to. Shaking her head to rid her frown, she smiles once again before coming to a stop in front of a rugged door.

She's standing in front of a rundown apartment complex. There are cracks decorating the dull exterior, and many of the windows are cracked and broken out. It even looks like some pieces of the building are crumbling off. She closes the gap between her and the building and pushes the door open.

Inside of the building is just as decrepit as the outside. Hotaru runs up the dusty stairs and towards the closest door. Pushing it open and stepping inside, she looks around the dark living room. Cobwebs hang from the ceiling and the hanging fan remains motionless, and any furniture in the room is outdated. Slowly, she closes the door behind her and cautiously looks around. It's very weird for her home to be _this_ quiet.

"Mama?" Hotaru calls out, walking towards her parents' bedroom and dropping her drawstring bag onto the creaky wooden floor. She presses her ear against the door, her eyes widening when she hears faint sobs. "Mommy—?"

The door opens, making her worried voice pause. Her eyes roam up the tall and toned man now standing in front of her. He has a handsome and angular face, with striking silver eyes that resemble her own. His hair is spiky and black, nearly being chin length.

He's wearing a long and black trench coat with tattered hems. The sleeves are cut short, showing zombie-like wrappings that start at his fingertips and travel up his arms. Metal chains hang from his black pants, and metal clasps decorate his boots. Overall, he resembles an assassin.

"Daddy?" Hotaru asks in surprise, since seeing him is a rare sight. She then grins widely and launches herself into him, cheering and hugging his legs. "Daddy!"

She feels his large hands move under her arms and lift her up. Closing her eyes in content as he holds her to him, she wraps her arms around his neck. Her dad walks over to the couch, carrying her further away from her mother's sobs. Hotaru's eyes open and stare at the door her mom is behind.

"What's wrong with mommy?" She asks when her dad sits down, placing her in his lap.

"Another miscarriage." He answers, staring ahead blankly and at the hanging wall clock.

"Oh…" Hotaru mumbles, not entirely sure what that is.

"Taru," Her dad's eyes peer deeply into her own. "Have you shown any signs of developing your Quirk yet?"

"No…" Hotaru's eyes move downcast, her lips pursing. Her head ducks and she hides her face in his chest.

Quirks are supposed to manifest at the age of four, _at the latest._ She's five years old now and still Quirkless, and she's most likely going to remain that way. Her fingers curl tightly into her dad's shirt and she bites down harshly on the inside of her cheek. She wants to be like her mommy and daddy. She wants to help them. Can she even do that without a Quirk?

"Even if I don't have a Quirk," Hotaru starts quietly. "Can I still help you and mommy?" She looks back up at her dad hopefully, admiration shining in her eyes. "I want to be like you!"

Her dad stares at her for a short moment, noticing the teeny bit of sadness lingering in her eyes. She swallows thickly, having a hard time reading him. Her dad smiles and lifts her high in the air, instantly making a large grin overtake her face. Laughs emit from her and he chuckles lowly.

"I don't see why not. You can do whatever you want. I'm sure even without a Quirk, you will accomplish many things." He smiles and lowers her into his lap once again. "Now, tell me about your day."

"I went to the park to feed the fish," Hotaru starts, bringing her hands over her red cheeks as she thinks about the animals she loves. Her eyes sparkle suddenly. "And I made my very first friend today!"

"Oh, really?" Her dad questions with a smile. "What's her name?"

" _His_ name is Shoto. Shoto Todoroki!" Hotaru exclaims excitedly. "He likes fish too and he fed them with me!"

"That's nice. I'm glad you finally made a friend."

"Yeah!" She nods.

"Ah, Hotaru, you're home!" A new voice speaks, making the two look to the side.

Hotaru's mother enters the room. Her lower eyelids are red and puffy, and tears still cling to her long and ebony lashes. She has long and wavy dark auburn hair, and dark hickory eyes. Her glossed lips are a soft pink and her facial features are soft. Anyone would describe her as a stunningly beautiful woman.

She wears a wine-red leotard that has a deep neck plunge, along with an attached hood. It clings to her slender frame, and she wears matching long gloves that nearly reach her shoulders. Black stockings travel up her leg and end halfway up her thighs. Tied around her waist is a transparent dark cloth that covers the back of her legs and acts like a train of a dress. Her ankle boots that share the color of her leotard have sharp hooks that penetrate from them.

"Hi, mama!" Hotaru grins and waves, watching as her mother plops down next to her and her dad.

"Are you alright, Cierra?" Her dad whispers over, blinking at her sudden change in personality from moments ago.

"Don't worry about me, Rai." She waves him off and reaches over to grab Hotaru. She hugs the young girl to her chest. "Hotaru, I love you so much. Stay with mommy forever."

"Okay." Hotaru giggles. However, her laughs stop when Cierra sets her down suddenly and stands once again. She's heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Rai asks with a frown.

"Outside." Cierra looks over her shoulder. Her dark eyes start glowing red and her lips curve upwards into a eerie smile. A fuzzy black aura flares to life around her and her pupils shrink. She starts trembling as if she's cold. Her eyes glance at Hotaru. "I need to… burn off some steam."

After those words, Cierra disappears out the door. Not long after that, Rai and Hotaru hear her distant wicked laugh. Rai sighs lightly with a smile, shaking his head in amusement. He stands as well, heading in the direction Cierra went.

"Stay here, Taru." He says when he grips the door handle. His eyes lock with hers. "I'm going out with your mom."

"Okay." Hotaru nods and waves with a smile. "Be careful!"

He stares at her for a short moment in deep thought. Hotaru brings her hands over her chest, oblivious to how his eyes flash with disappointment. She watches quietly as he disappears out the door and chases after her mom.

Hotaru lets out a sigh and falls backwards, sprawling out across the couch. _Alone again_. Them leaving late in the night is nothing new. She reaches her hand towards the ceiling, her fingers spread. Two different colored eyes flash across her vision and her hand drops back to her side. Her eyes shut as she smiles.

"Shoto… Todoroki." She whispers into the dark and empty apartment. Even without a Quirk, her daddy says she can accomplish many things. She wonders if she really can. Determination fills her to the brim.

Without a Quirk, she will help her mommy and daddy. Without a Quirk, she'll grow strong and be able to go everywhere with her parents. Without a Quirk, she'll get them to finally say they are proud of her, and without a Quirk, she'll get her mommy to stop crying because of "miscarriages." That's what she wants to do. She wants to be just like them. However, there is something else she wants to do.

"I want to be…" She whispers. "An aquarist! And…" She yawns. "I want to, stop your…"

•

Tears stream down Shoto's face. They are thick and warm. His arms are wrapped tightly around his midsection. His small body is hunched forward, his throat burning hot at the acid he's coughing up. His father stands before him, glaring down at him.

"How can you surpass All Might if you can't even handle this?!" He roars down at Shoto who's still vomiting. "Get up! We're trying again."

"Stop, Enji!" Rei, Shoto's mother, pleads and runs over to Shoto. She drops onto her knees and rubs his back, his vomit soaking through her pants. "He's only five!"

"No, he's _already_ five!" Enji stomps forward, backhanding Rei across the face and making her topple over. Shoto's eyes enlarge in horror.

"Mom!" He calls out in worry, beginning to stand and run over to her. Enji grabs his arm roughly, pulling him in the opposite direction and away from his crying mother.

"We're not finished yet, Shoto!" Enji yells. "Forget about her!"

Every night is like this for Shoto. He's put through brutal training his body can't handle, his dad always yells at him whenever his body fails him, he always witnesses his mother being hit whenever she tries to defend him, and when it's finally time to go to sleep, he always hides under his covers and tries to muffle his cries.

His hand clutches at his pillow, his body shaking from his sobs. _I hate dad, I hate dad,_ is what he keeps saying in his head. His tearful eyes peek out from underneath the covers and stare out his bedroom window, gazing at the many stars. They shine brightly in the night, swirling in many patterns. He gazes deeply at their bright silver color. Sniffling, he brings his covers closer to his body.

"Taru," He whispers as tears continue to leak from his eyes. If her situation really is similar to his own, he wonders what she's doing right now. He snivels, feeling a little worried. Is she okay? Is she still awake like he is? He also wonders, if he goes to the park _, can he see her again?_

Fair Skies, and Stepping Stones

"Shoroki!" Hotaru jumps onto a round stone protruding out of the crystal water. Her lips downturn as she looks ahead, seeing Shoto more than a few stones in front of her. "You're going too fast! Slow down! Or wait for me, at least!"

Shoto turns around, looking at the trailing behind Hotaru. She's pouting. He lets little pellets of fish food fall out of his hand and into the water. They land with a splat and create ripples. The koi fish hurriedly swim to consume the food, causing the water to pop. When Hotaru catches up she hunches over breathlessly and places her hands on her knees.

"Why are you going so fast, Sho?" She peeks up at him through her eyelashes. "We can't admire the fish!"

Hotaru has taken a liking to calling Shoto "Shoroki." It's either that or "Sho." Shoto said it was fine to call him that. He actually claimed he kind of liked it. Since no one else calls him that, it's kind of special to him. Just like how she likes when he calls her "Taru." It's their own special nicknames for each other.

"Sorry." Shoto apologizes and faces her. "I'm trying to finish our adventure as fast as I can. I have to leave soon."

"Already?" Hotaru straightens up with a frown. Her silver eyes grow dull as they sadden. She clasps her hands in front of her, leaning forward and gazing at him with now hopeful eyes. "Can I go with you?"

"No. Sorry." Shoto looks away from her dismally.

"Oh," Hotaru straightens up and looks downcast. Her eyes follow the fish as they swim elegantly around the stones they stand atop of.

Shoto glances at Hotaru, noticing how she looks sad now. The remainder of the fish food he holds falls into the water and his fingers curl into fists. If he were to say yes, Hotaru would meet his father. If Hotaru were to meet his father, what would he do to her? What would he do to him and his own mom after finding out they've been sneaking away?

"Sho?" Hotaru's voice brings him out of his panicked thoughts. He looks back at her, seeing her head tilted and her silver orbs shining in worry.

"I'm okay." Shoto reassures her and forces a smile. That forced smile makes Hotaru frown. Her cheeks puff outwards and she gazes up at the sky.

She wanted to go with him to figure out where he goes that makes him look so shaken. Her lips downturn and her eyes briefly shut. At this rate, she won't be able to do what she wants. She looks back at Shoto, meeting his eyes. His lower eyelids are swollen red as they always are. She looks at the sky again, thinking about how she can make him smile. A thought strikes her and she quickly points at the sky.

"Look, Sho!" She exclaims. "That cloud looks like…" She trails off, her finger lowering slightly. Honestly, she's not entirely sure what it looks like. "...All Might!"

Shoto quickly looks up at the sky with cheeks darkened in excitement. Slowly, he begins to frown. He looks back at Hotaru who is now rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish smile.

"No it doesn't." He says and she laughs timidly.

"I know. I just wanted you to stop looking so sad." Her words make him tense up. The wind blows, ruffling up her messy hair. Tilting her head, she smiles and Shoto's lips part. Her silver orbs grow soft, and he compares them to gently falling snow. "You should smile more, Shoroki~!"

Shoto stares at her speechlessly. She's grinning widely with rose dusted cheeks. He wonders, how can she smile so much? Her situation is similar to to his own, isn't it? Swallowing, he blurts a question.

"D-Don't you have mean parents?"

Hotaru's smile vanishes and she stares at Shoto with stunned eyes. _Mean parents?_ Her whole body freezes up. From head to toe, she remains motionless. She blinks at him before laughter erupts from her mouth.

"Not at all! My mama and daddy are really nice!" She waves her hand through the air in objection. What made him think that, she wonders? "I love them a lot. I want to be just like them and help them and everything!" Her hands move over her cheeks that hurt from her wide smile as she gushes about her parents. "What about you?"

"Me?" Shoto asks with a quiver in his voice.

"Your parents. Are they nice?"

The organ in Shoto's chest drops to his stomach. Her situation really isn't similar to his own, then? Maybe they aren't as similar as he originally thought. He now envies her. Her question makes his father flood into his head. Hotaru's eyes instantly grow concerned.

"Sho?" She questions, reaching out to him. "S-sorry. Did I upset you?"

"No." Shoto quickly shakes his head. "It's just… I have to go now."

Right after those words, Shoto begins heading back onto solid land. The koi fish swim after him, leaving behind swirls in the water. Hotaru's silver orbs seem to drill a hole into his back. His words replay in her head and her eyes narrow. She feels as if she's one step closer.

A Little Rain, and Then Some Sun

Days turn into weeks, and the amount of time they spend together grows. They feed the fish together, talk together, they do everything together. They are the best of friends even though their lives away from one another are wrapped in secrecy. However, instead of prying, they respect each others privacy. Neither of the two know how the other will react once they hear the truth.

 _But..._

Hotaru and Shoto sit underneath a pavilion built over the koi pond. They watch as the rain falls and creates countless ripples in the water. The colorful fish remain towards the bottom of the pond, moving about slowly.

"Sho," Hotaru begins, breaking the silence that's been hovering between them. Shoto has been growing more and more quiet lately, and he's been looking as if he's in pain. Physically and mentally. It's driving her mad with desire. She leans into him. "Why are you my friend?"

"Well…" Shoto looks off to the side, trying to ignore how she's leaning against him. "I like to be around you. And… you make me," He blushes. "Happy."

Hotaru grins widely and hugs his arm to her chest, squealing happily like a pig. Shoto's whole face turns red in embarrassment. Tugging on him, Hotaru gets Shoto to look at her again.

"You make me happy too, Shoroki~!" She cheers. Her voice gradually grows softer and her own cheeks darken. "And… you're my first and only friend."

Shoto's heterochromia eyes widen and almost look as if their sparkling as he stares at her. She continues to smile, her hold on his arm not faltering in the slightest. He stares at her silvery eyes that resemble the clouds above them. She looks away from him and at the water.

"Thank you, Sho." She smiles softly. "I'm not lonely anymore, because of you!"

"Lonely?" He murmurs in question and her body tenses slightly. She parts her lips, wanting to respond with words, but all she can manage is a weak nod. Then, Shoto says words that make her eyes widen. "You're my first and only friend too."

"Really?" Hotaru whispers and he nods. Instantly, she feels happy, but that happiness is replaced with something else that makes her heart clench.

"Taru?" Shoto questions, noticing her change in mood.

"Um, I've been wondering..." Hotaru starts unsurely. "Is your daddy mean?"

Shoto's eyes widen, his pupils shrinking in panic. Horror is as clear as day on his face. _How… How did she figure that out?_ Is she going to tell the police? Inform a Pro Hero? If she does that, his dad will…! Fear floods into him.

"W-what makes you think that?" Shoto asks. It takes more than a lot of effort to make his voice sound confused. Hotaru lets go of his arm and ducks her head. Her fingers curl into her pants and she bites down on her lower lip in a way that looks painful.

"S-sorry. Am I wrong?" She whispers out. "It's just your mommy looks so nice, and every time I see you it looks like you've just gotten done crying. So, I was just wondering if your daddy is the cause of your tears."

"H-he," Shoto's limbs quiver and he gazes intensely at his lap. "Why do you want to know?"

"I want to stop your tears!"

Shoto looks over at Hotaru, gasping. She's standing now, and her fingers are curled into tight fists. Her facial features are serious. Sun peeks through the breaking away rain clouds, shining a light directly onto her. Her eyes glimmer brightly and he's captivated by their color, but he's even more captivated by her words.

"I want… to stop your tears." She repeats, only this time more quietly. Her cheeks gradually turn pink. "That's why I want to know! How do I make your tears stop?"

Shoto merely continues to stare at Hotaru with wide eyes. Hotaru, gazing into his eyes she finds so pretty, squeezes her own shut in embarrassment. He's not responding and she begins thinking maybe she should've kept what she wanted to do to herself.

She wanted to get his tears to stop from the moment she met him. His eyes are too pretty to be constantly shedding tears, he's too nice to be crying. She doesn't like when anybody cries. However, it really does hurt her, seeing Shoto, her best friend, look so sad constantly.

She wants him to be happy and she's been trying so hard when they are together to make that buried anguish disappear from his eyes, but no matter what she does, she never succeeds. She wants to make whoever or whatever is hurting him feel all the pain Shoto feels. Or somehow, she wants to take some of his pain away.

"Nobody deserves your tears…" Hotaru begins again, feeling a little timid. Shoto still hasn't responded yet. She swallows. Maybe her words were a mistake. "So… I…"

Shoto suddenly launches himself into her. Her lips part as she draws in a sharp breath. The force of his tackle makes her fall backwards. He lands on top of her and she grunts at his weight, her eyes squeezing shut at the somewhat unpleasant impact. When her eyes open, the grow impossibly wide at the sight above her.

Shoto, sitting on top of her, is grinning widely down at her. His eyes are sparkling blithely, nothing else. There is no other emotion present in his eyes but pure happiness. She's rendered breathless.

"Taru!" Shoto starts, his voice just as happy as his eyes. "You make my tears stop all the time. Whenever I see you… they go away!" The sunlight shining above him almost makes him look like an angel to her. Shoto suddenly blushes lightly. "You're my hero, Taru!"

She's the reason why his tears stop whenever he comes to the park to be with her? She's… _his hero?_ Her brows furrow and her lips curve downwards. Shoto's lips part at how she looks sad suddenly.

"A hero?" She whispers. "Sho… I'm not a hero. I can't be a hero."

"Why not?" Shoto asks.

"I don't have a Quirk, and my mama and daddy, I want to be like them, but without a Quirk I—"

"It's okay!" Shoto cuts her off. His smile grows in size as he speaks some of the words his mom says to him. "Decide who you want to become. And be all you can be. Even without a Quirk, Taru, you can be whatever you want!"

Moisture instantly builds up in Hotaru's eyes. Pearl shaped tears gather and cling to her eyelashes before they stream down her cheeks. She forms fists with her hands to rub the salty droplets away.

"Taru?" Shoto whispers in worry. Did he just make his best friend cry? What kind of friend is he? He was trying to make her not look sad anymore, but it looks like he did the opposite. Before he can apologize, he hears her laugh. She's smiling and laughing through her tears. _Her happy tears._

"Shoto, thank you!" She smiles up at him. "Can we be friends forever?"

"Yes." Shoto grins and moves off of her, helping her up and onto her feet. He stares at the slowing tears rolling down her face. "If nobody deserves my tears, nobody deserves yours either."

"As long as they're happy tears, I don't mind," She shrugs lightly with a small smile. "Giving them to you."

Shoto blushes lightly at her words. She grins and twirls around him, staring at the pond. Since the rain has stopped, the fish are moving around more than they were before. She looks over her shoulder and at Shoto. Now that she thinks about it, his words were similar to what her daddy said to her. _She can be whatever she wants to be._ She looks over her shoulder and at Shoto, curious about something.

"Sho, what do you want to be?" She asks. Shoto smiles and clenches his fists in determination. His answer makes her lips press together tightly.

"I want to be, a hero!"

Cicadas

Weeks turn into months, and the two young children are closer than they've ever been before. Shoto laughs a lot more which makes Hotaru happier than she's ever been. The end of summer is upon them, and the cold months will be here before they know it. Currently, they both sit in their usual spot in front of the pond.

"I can't take it anymore!" Hotaru stands up in a flash, looking around wildly. The shade from the swaying wisteria branches above her seem to dance across her form along with the tiny specks of sunlight. Shoto blinks up at her.

"What do you mean?"

"That noise! It won't stop!"

"You mean the cicadas?" Shoto asks.

"Yes!" She looks at Shoto and jabs a finger at him. "I'll be back. I'm going to make it stop."

"Wait!" Shoto stands up, looking at her in horror. "You're going to kill it?"

"Ew, no." Hotaru waves off that possibility. "I'm just going to scare it way or something."

She begins walking off and in the direction the sound is coming from. Shoto quickly stands and runs after her. Once he's beside her, he walks by her side. He frowns at her, comparing her desire to a villain.

"But Taru," He starts. "That's mean."

"Then I'll just ask it nicely to stop." Hotaru says, making Shoto smile and nod. He's more satisfied with that. They both hear a crunch, then the noise they were hearing stops. Blinking, they both pause in their walk and stare at each other.

"It stopped." Shoto speculates and Hotaru nods.

"Yeah—" She begins to say, only for the rest of her words to get sucked down her throat when she hears intense buzzing.

The color drains from her face and she turns around, see a cicada vibrating and twitching harshly on the ground. Half of its body is squished. _That crunch earlier…_ Hotaru quickly brings her bare foot up to see guts splattered across the bottom of it. She screams at the top of her lungs and Shoto flinches at her loud voice.

"Taru?!" He looks at her and realization instantly washes over him. He quickly looks down at the struggling bug on the ground. "Y-you stepped on it?!"

"I'm so sorry!" Hotaru crouches down next to the bug. Her hands move towards it only to withdraw. She does this multiple times, wanting to touch it to soothe it somehow, but she's ultimately too scared to touch it. She's in a complete frenzy. "W-what do I do?!"

Shoto's quivering and biting down on his tongue. Laughter bursts from Shoto's mouth and waterfall tears fall from his eyes. He clutches at his aching stomach. Despite the deplorable series of events, all he can think of is how hilarious Hotaru's face currently is. Hotaru looks at him and gapes in disbelief.

"M-Meanie!" Hotaru whines loudly, making Shoto laugh even harder. "This is sad, you know! A-And my foot has guts all over it!"

"Are you going to finally wear your shoes now?" Shoto laughs out. She pouts. He knows she doesn't like wearing shoes. After he gets a hold of himself, he notices how sad Hotaru is. He walks over to her and pats the top of her head. "It's okay. It was an accident."

"It's still sad, but," She looks back at the bug. "You're right."

She's guilty for killing bugs at her home, but that's merely because they're not supposed to be inside. It's like a lion killing something on its territory. It's for protection. This bug, however, was in its own habitat. However, in all honesty, she probably unknowingly kills multiple bugs everyday just by walking through the grass alone. Perhaps Shoto realizes the latter as well. _It's just a bug, and it was just an accident._ The despair she was feeling slowly fades away and she laughs slightly.

"Yeah, you're right." She says again. Her pupils slowly dilate as she continues to stare at the squashed bug. The sound of her pulse fills her ears. She finds herself thinking… _how easy it was to kill._

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Villain: Part Two

❤•○●○•❤

Her wide silver eyes stare at the man of fire towering over her. His teal eyes gaze down at her gratingly. Her blood turns ice cold and her shrunken pupils flash, holding a crazed demeanor. Blood begins dripping from her hand as her nails dig into her skin, a result from her tight fists.

"You hurt him." She murmurs. "You ruined everything." Her silver orbs transform into a blinding blue. "I'll kill you."

* * *

 **A/N: I actually got Hotaru stepping on a cicada from my own personal experience. I was letting my dog out, and it was early in the morning and before school so I was barefoot. I was walking around and then I heard a crunch. I thought it was a leaf since it was autumn and tons of leaves were on the ground, but then I heard buzzing and turned around and there was a half crushed cicada there.** **ಠ_ಠ**

 **It was awful. Looking back on it now though, I always get a good laugh out of it. xD**

 **But anyways, thank you for reading! :D**


	4. Villain: Part Two

**Oblivious ninja IJ** : Hmm, I wonder too, haha! Shotaru! ❤ Love it!

 **AugustRrush** : Thank you very much!

 **Unlikely Begginings** : :D

 **MoonLunacy** : Ahh! Thank you! I'm glad you find the format cute! I was aiming to build the tension for when they do finally meet again and as you said, this solely focuses on the meat! I will be including more history and whatnot to touch up on unanswered questions and plot holes (which are definitely in this chapter), but it will be integrated slowly. Normally that's what I would do, but I thought I'd try something different this time, haha. ❤ I really like how perceptive you are. I can't wait to get deeper into this story and answer all of your questions, because everything you're curious about will be revealed. :D

 **lovelyhatter** : Thank you sooo much!

•

 **Thank you so much once again to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story!**

 **Sorry for the long wait.**

 **This is the final part of the "Villain" chapter!**

 **There is also another** •sneak peek• **at the end. I kind of like doing those, lol.** (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

 **I hope you enjoy, and I apologize for any errors.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Villain: Part Two

❤•○●○•❤

Her Hero

"Stop throwing trash in the pond!" Hotaru yells, her cheeks puffed out and her eyes glaring at the group of kids littering. Her eyes glance at the garbage floating in the water, her body trembling angrily when a fish gets caught in a piece of plastic.

"You're not the boss of us, 'Quirkless Man Girl!'" The leader of the group of kids retorts, crossing his arms and facing Hotaru. His brown eyes glare right back at her and he smirks, running his fingers through his flax colored hair. Hotaru feels a twinge of hurt at the name he called her, but she quickly shakes it off.

"But you guys are littering! That's breaking the law! A-and!" Hotaru's fists clench. "You're hurting the fish!"

"So, what?" He shrugs. "They are just stupid fish."

Hotaru's mouth drops open, and now she feels completely offended. Talking about her is one thing but talking about fish is something completely different. _S-stupid fish?_ Fish are incredible and majestic creatures! She growls when one of his buddies toss a bag of chip crumbs into the water. Her eye twitches and she bares her teeth.

"Fish aren't stupid! You're stupid!" She stomps towards him. "Take this, my Quirk!"

She throws her fist outwards and the leader recoils instinctively to dodge her punch. Last he checked, she was Quirkless. Did her Quirk manifest? However, his question is answered when nothing emits from her body. She looks embarrassed and frustrated suddenly, and she lowers her shaking fist. He laughs loudly along with his group of friends.

"What Quirk?" He holds his hand up. Nervous sweat forms on Hotaru's temple when the veins on his hands pop outward, and when his short nails suddenly turn into claws that look sharper than knives. She instantly compares their appearance to a badger. "You know, you kind of look like those ugly things, Ugly."

"W-what are you doing?" Hotaru takes backwards steps as he begins approaching her.

"How about you get in the water with them?"

"Stop it!" Hotaru yells when he starts pushing her closer to the pond. "I-I'll tell my daddy on you!"

"Oh~" The boy laughs. "So, you're a daddy's boy? How stupid!"

The blood drains from Hotaru's face when she's suddenly pushed with a lot of force. Her lips part as she lets out a silent scream. Time seems to move in slow motion as she falls closer and closer to the water.

She's never attempted to swim before. She doesn't know how to swim. _She's scared, she's so very scared._ No sound escapes her mouth even though she tries to scream for help. She's too terrified to do anything. Her eyes squeeze shut. Just before her body can go splat into the water, she feels something cold beneath her. Her silver eyes slowly and cautiously open. At the sight before her, she gasps.

She's laying on top of cold and thick ice. Even though it's freezing, it's cradling her gently, curved upwards and in a half-cylinder shape to prevent her from falling off of it. She slowly begins to slide down the ice that acts like a slide, her bottom lightly coming in contact with solid ground. When she looks up, her eyes enlarge as they land on Shoto.

Ice is beneath his foot on his right side. The ice travels and leaves a path leading directly to the ice ramp she was just on. His heterochromia eyes glare at the kids surrounding her as he walks in her direction. Once he comes to a stop in front of her, he turns so he's facing the group of bullies. Hotaru stares at the back of his head with eyes even wider than before and an agape mouth.

"Leave her alone." Shoto demands. Even though his voice sounds calm, there is evident anger clinging to it. The boy who is responsible for pushing Hotaru takes a backwards step, quivering at Shoto's powerful Quirk.

"L-let's go!" He quickly turns and runs, his group of friends following after him instantly. Shoto glares after them before turning around to face Hotaru. He quickly holds out his hand to her, crouching down slightly.

"Are you okay, Taru?" He asks, his brows furrowed in worry. Hotaru nods silently and places her hand in his, letting him pull her onto her feet.

Her chest warms, and that warmth spreads throughout her whole body. _Shoto saved her._ If Shoto didn't show up, who knows what would've happened to her. Her hands move over her chest and she closes her eyes. When she opens her eyes, they involuntarily land on the group of retreating kids. Her heart twinges again.

"Sho," She swallows thickly and looks to the ground, recalling how Shoto once thought she was a boy. "Am I—?"

"Don't listen to them!" Shoto quickly cuts her off, staring at her seriously. He knows what she was going to ask. His cheeks are dark, but his sincere gaze doesn't falter. "You're beautiful. S-so, don't listen to them!"

Hotaru never thought she would ever hear those words coming from anybody, and she never thought she would experience fireworks going off in her chest, along with the sensation of swarming butterflies in her stomach. Blood rushes into her cheeks. Shoto looks away from her, tugging on her arm and leading her towards the fish food dispenser.

"Let's feed the fish." He says. The longer Hotaru stares at him, the more tingly she feels.

This protected feeling he's bestowing upon her, she loves it. Her cheeks flush and a tiny smile forms on her face as she looks down at their feet. Is this what it feels like to be saved? Is this what it feels like when someone becomes your hero? Her eyes move back up and at Shoto.

He once said she was his hero, so does he feel the same way she does right now? If so, she wants to continue to make him feel like that. Right now, and in this moment, she feels the happiest she's ever felt. She's his hero, and he's hers. If she really is his hero, she wants to be the best hero she can be for him. She can be whoever she wants to be, right?

"You're my hero too, Shoroki!" Hotaru exclaims in excitement. He looks over his shoulder at her with a grin.

"Let's be heroes together!" Shoto beams, and Hotaru nods with a grin as big as his.

"We'll be known as the 'Handsome and Beautiful Duo!'"

Shoto chokes and then he hears a crunch, followed by Hotaru's remorseful cries. He looks down, seeing another squashed cicada. She says something along the lines that "she's cursed." That makes Shoto burst out laughing.

"You're the 'Bug Crusher!'" He gets out between his laughter.

"N-no!"

Kiss of Death

Later on that night, Hotaru sprints home with a large grin. As soon as she makes it to her apartment complex and runs inside, she bursts through the door and into her home. At her loud and sudden entry, her mother looks over at her instantly from her spot in front of the kitchen sink.

"Can I be a hero?!" Hotaru asks without delay, her eyes sparkling at the thought of being a hero with Shoto. Her mother turns to her fully, the kitchen knife she's holding glistens in her hand from the moonlight pouring through the nearby window.

"A hero?" Her mother repeats with a smile, her eyes softening dotingly. "Is that really what you want?"

"Mhm!" Hotaru beams and starts hopping up and down in excitement. "A hero, with my friend! His name is Shoto Todoroki! He's my hero and—!"

Hotaru's energetic and cheerful rambling is cut short when her mom suddenly shrieks piercingly, making her ears rings horribly. Cold sweat forms on her temple and she screams when her mom lunges towards her with knife in hand. Hotaru immediately turns to run, but her body is suddenly frozen in place when an icy hand grabs ahold of her arm in a bruising grip. Her small body is now pinned on the ground.

"Y-You…!" Her mom starts, her voice thick with anger. Her dark eyes suddenly glow red. The tip of her knife presses against her throat, making Hotaru begin to tremble uncontrollably. "You little wretch! I'll kill you!" A twisted smile forms on her face. "Yes… I'll kill you before your father gets home. You useless little—!"

"Cierra!" A new voice roars.

The weight pinning Hotaru down is abruptly gone, and the frigid metal point that nearly broke into her skin is now absent. Strong arms scoop her up and hold her to a firm and muscular chest. Hotaru doesn't even realize she's crying until she feels a hand cradling the back of her head lovingly, and fingers running through her hair. Hearing a light hush and a voice that calms her, she peeks up to see her father. She instantly tangles her hands into his clothing and hides her face in his chest, fighting desperately to keep back a sob.

"D-Daddy…!" She breathes out and he shushes her once more.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rai asks, glaring at his wife as she pushes herself up off of the floor.

"This girl wants to be a hero!" Cierra jabs a finger at Hotaru, making her flinch. "My first child, my only child, the only child that successfully came out of my womb, wants to be a hero!" She spits out.

"...A hero?" Rai repeats, looking down at Hotaru who is hiding her face by burying it in his chest.

"I say we just kill her now! She's been useless to us since the very beginning!"

"No. We just need to give her more time—"

"When are you going to accept the fact that she's Quirkless?! She's _five_ years old and still hasn't displayed any sign of developing a Quirk!"

"She's our prodigy!"

"If that's the case, then why are we constantly trying to have another child?! Face reality, Rai! We're never going to have a child who will be inherited with both of our Quirks! We're stuck with her! She's anything but a prodigy! She's worthless!"

With those final words, Cierra stomps away and out of the apartment, leaving Hotaru and her Rai sitting in the dark. Rai glares after her before turning his gaze over to Hotaru. She's quivering in his arms, sniveling as she silently weeps. His eyes narrow slightly.

"Taru," He begins, making her body tense. "Is it true? You want to be a hero?"

"I-I…" Hotaru hiccups and rubs at her eyes, pulling back from him somewhat. "I thought y-you said I can be whatever I want."

"Do you know what a hero is?" He asks and Hotaru remains silent. "A hero is our enemy. It is because of heroes that we are stuck living like this, stuck moving from place to place. It is because of heroes that I can't go to the park with you, that I can't be a part of your life more. It is because of them that your identity must remain secret, so you won't get taken away. Heroes aren't just. They're the evil in this world. What everyone makes them out to be is a lie. You wanted to help me, didn't you? In other words, Taru,"

Hotaru's silver eyes move upwards and gaze into his own that are a perfect mirror image. His hand covers her cheek, his thumb lightly stroking just below her eye. Her lower lip trembles. The next words from his mouth make her eyes widen. He lightly kisses her forehead.

"A hero is the one thing you can't be."

Overcast Affliction

Lately, Shoto has been spending the days sitting in front of the park pond alone and feeding the fish all by himself. As he tosses tiny pellets into the water he wears a frown on his face. His eyes are downcast and there is an apparent twisting sensation in the pit of his stomach. He swallows thickly and looks up at the dark and cloudy sky, smelling approaching rain.

It's been weeks since he last seen Hotaru. The amount of concern in him keeps growing and growing like a sprouting seed. She stopped showing up without any warning at all. He hasn't seen her since the day he saved her from those group of bullies. Did those bullies scare her off from coming to the park? Or perhaps there is another reason unknowing to him?

Whatever the reason is, it won't change the fact that he is worried sick. In spite of being worried, his chest is even heavier with another emotion. _Loneliness._ His only friend is now gone and he's alone once again.

"Taru…" Shoto whispers to himself, staring with glossy eyes down at the water. Thunder rumbles to life over his head and lightning flashes and illuminates his surroundings. The sudden and brief change of lighting causes his eyes to catch sight of something peculiar. His eyes grow large and his pupils shrink.

Hovering at the surface of the still water is a lifeless fish. The vibrant colors it displayed when it was full of life at one point are dull and faded. An unpleasant shiver shoots down Shoto's spine as he stares at it. That fish… _was Hotaru's favorite fish._

"Shoto! It's time to go!" His mother's voice snaps him out of his miniature stage of shock. He stands slowly and hesitantly, gazing at the dead fish one last time before heading in his mother's direction. Once he reaches her side, she hurriedly picks him up before walking at a fast pace back home.

On their way back, they pass by many shops and displays. When they are waiting at a stop light it begins to drizzle, and a selection of flat screen televisions grab ahold of his attention. The same news broadcast is showing on each and every one of them. Behind the women speaking is a fuzzy image of a figure made entirely out of blue electricity, along with an even more fuzzy picture of a small child wearing blue shoes.

"In the last few weeks in the Shizuoka Prefecture, there have been a rise of in crime reports. Not only that, the infamous villain known as "Lightning Beast" has been making more and more appearances, being spotted with this small child. The public can't help but to wonder when the heroes will finally take down this problematic villain. The number two hero, Endeavor, has been pursuing this villain for quite some time, resulting in on and off battles that lead to damage of property—"

Shoto's mother starts to cross the street, taking him out of earshot from the audio. His lips downturn while his eyes squeeze shut. The worry he's feeling merely continues to grow.

Reunion

Throwing the last bit of fish food he has left into the pond, Shoto stands up with a dismal sigh. Spring time was when he met her, summer days were the time they spent together, fall is when she left, and now winter is around the corner and she still hasn't returned. A chilly breeze blows by, making him bring his coat closer to his body.

He noticed that the fish have been slowing down in their movements and been hovering deeper in the water. Is it because of the changing weather? That's what he thinks, but he can't help but to wonder if Hotaru would know the true answer. He swallows thickly. Where is she?

She went missing so suddenly. Did she move away? She would've told him if she did. Is she in trouble then? Should he tell the police? Or maybe even go the lengths of asking his own father to investigate? He gulps.

Suddenly, he hears rapidly approaching footsteps, followed by a familiar voice that makes his body feel so light. He turns around instantly. Every ounce of worry he has felt drifts away. His eyes sparkle and he grins widely.

"Shoroki!" Hotaru calls out his name, dragging it out for the longest. She's smiling brightly, dressed for the colder weather like he is. The black scarf wrapped around her neck whirls behind her.

"Taru!" Shoto calls back and begins sprinting towards her. They both have their arms outstretched. To everyone nearby, it is quite an over dramatic scene.

Hotaru giggles uncontrollably when the distance between them closes while Shoto's smile grows bigger to the point that his cheeks hurt. They wrap their arms around each other tightly, hopping up and down and spinning in circles. It's mainly Hotaru doing the spinning and hopping, and Shoto has no choice but to follow suit. Shoto is the first to pull away.

"Taru!" He begins, keeping his hands on her shoulders as he frowns. "Where were you? I was worried!"

"Sorry." Hotaru smiles a little sheepishly, closing her eyes briefly as she feels terrible for leaving him without any warning, and also for so long. "I was grounded."

"Grounded?" Shoto repeats, his arms falling back to his sides. He tilts his head slightly. "For three months?"

"Yeah." Hotaru huffs, her cheeks puffing out. Her fingers fiddle with her scarf and she shifts from side to side.

"What did you do?" He questions further, genuinely curious.

"...I got my mommy mad." She answers. It's quiet for a short few moments.

"Oh."

"But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be!" Hotaru quickly speaks up again, her cheeks darkening a hint as she recalls her time being grounded. "I got to spend a lot of time with my daddy! We went outside together and… a-and… I-I..."

Shoto's lips part and his eyes glaze over in concern. Hotaru's glossy eyes move upwards to meet his. Her lower lips trembles and she shakes her head, replacing her sad expression with a happy one. The amount of force behind her smile makes him reach out towards her.

"I really missed you, Sho." She whispers, her smile flattering. Easily, he can see tears gathering at the outer corner of her eyes.

The cold air suddenly doesn't bother Shoto at all anymore. He's oblivious to it. He steps forward and hugs her once again. This time, he wants to be the one to stop her tears. He thinks quietly for a moment, thinking of what he could do to make her happy and take her mind off of whatever is bothering her. Nothing really comes to mind. But, _he has to try something._ His dear friend that he missed so much is sad.

"I missed you too." He says, then becomes of aware of the moisture soaking through his clothing. His breath catches. Should he have said something different? "T-Taru?"

"Sho," Hotaru begins, looking up at him through glistening lashes. "Do you really want to be a hero?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Shoto stares into her silvery eyes. He can see his own reflection in them. _Why does he want to be a hero?_ That's an easy question to answer, and that answer should be obvious. Heroes save people and that's what he wants to do. He wants to be like All Might, the hero he looks up to the most.

"To save people." Shoto answers and her eyes break away from his. She takes a step back so she's out of his reach.

"Why?" She asks, staring down at the yellowing grass.

"Wha—?" He begins, growing confused.

"From what?" She cuts him off, her fingers curling tightly into her coat.

"From bad guys… like villains." Shoto answers carefully, his tone dazed.

"For what?"

"You're acting strange." Shoto frowns at her, unconsciously taking a step back and really staring at her.

Her hair has grown a little longer, now just barely able to cover her ears. His lips downturn even more. Her eyes aren't as bright as he remembered them to be. They are more dull and enigmatic.

"S-strange?" Hotaru quickly says in panic. She brings her hands over her cheeks. "Sorry! It's just… I was wondering…! If I was a lion and you were a bunny, would you still be my friend?!"

"A lion and a bunny?" He blinks, growing even more confused.

"Ah, well…" She trails off and her face goes blank. Her legs suddenly go limp, leaving her sitting on her knees.

"Taru?!" Shoto quickly says in panic and crouches in front of her. "Are you okay?"

Hotaru merely stares down at the grass. Her fingers are trembling, so she curls them tightly. Letting out a breath, her eyes move to stare at Shoto's shoes in front of her. She really is acting strange, isn't she? The reason she came here today wasn't just to see him again. What she really wants is to ask him something specific. She hasn't been being comprehensible at all.

Deep down, she knows Shoto wants to be a hero. She knows she won't be able to change his mind so there is no point in trying. It's what he wants to do. Like he said, decide who you want to become. He has already decided what he wants, and he's going to do everything he can to be that. _A hero_.

"I'm sorry." She whispers and looks up at him, holding up her pinky finger. "Can you promise me that you'll be the best hero in the entire world?"

Shoto's brows furrow together. _She's acting more than strange._ Despite the perplexity he's feeling about her behavior, he nods and wraps his pinky around hers. Relief flashes across her features when he nods.

"Yeah." He promises, and she smiles, making him smile too. "Will you be the best hero in the entire world, too?"

"Yeah! Well, actually..." Her hold on him tightens. "If I did something bad, would you forgive me? Or if I turned out to be bad… like a villain… would you still be my friend?"

Shoto looks downwards and catches sight of her footwear. He pulls his hand from her grip, making her gasp silently. His eyes she's staring into narrow, and for the first time she doesn't find those orbs of his pretty at all. He stands quickly, turning so his back is to her. Just when she begins to stand and grab onto his hand, he looks over his shoulder at her. The angry looks he's giving her makes her freeze on the spot.

"I would never forgive you." He answers, shattering her. Looking away from her, he begins walking towards his mom in the distance who called his name. Hotaru lowers herself back down, her hands dropping onto the ground below her. She pulls the grass out as her hands form fists and tangle into the greenery.

"...You were right, daddy." She whispers, her face twisting in agony as she hunches over. A villain can't be friends with a hero, and she doesn't understand why. Are they really that different? She brings her knees to her chest, _staring at her blue shoes._

Uprising

Hotaru walks slowly down the dark alley, in no hurry to get home. Her teeth have chewed the inside of her cheek raw. She's trembling but not from the cold air. Sucking in a sharp breath, she straightens her posture and imagines her parents are standing in front of her.

"I know heroes are mean, but I want to be a hero. Because if I be a hero I can be Shoto's friend and be with him forever and ever. And if I become a hero, maybe I can convince all the other heroes to leave us alone, so we can live in a nice house and be a happy family." She speaks. "And villains are mean too! Everyone is mean! So, it doesn't matter! We are all lions! A-and…!"

She trails off, coming to a stop in her walk. Expressionlessly, she stares at the cracked concrete below her feet. No words come out of her mouth for the next few minutes and she remains unmoving. The top and bottom row of her teeth press together harshly, and she bends over, her hands getting tangled into her hair. She wails loudly.

"I don't know! I don't know!" She cries out into the empty night.

For so long, she wanted nothing more than to be like her mommy and daddy. She wants to make them proud and stand by their side. Then she met Shoto. He showed her what it was like to have a friend, showed her what it was like to be a hero, and he showed her what it was like to be saved by a hero. He told her she could be whatever she wanted to be even without a Quirk, and her daddy told her the same thing.

However, then her daddy told her a hero is the one thing she can't be, and Shoto said he would never forgive her if she became a villain. No matter what she decides to do, she won't be able to please all of them. She's balancing on a thin line between hero and villain.

During that time when she was grounded, her daddy stayed with her a whole lot and her mommy has been distant. Her daddy took her outside and showed her the world as it really is. _She's seen so many things._

When she really thinks about it and recalls all the things her daddy told her, and all the things he's showed her, and seeing the world through his eyes, she can narrow down what she wants. She's ready to cut the line. It's like her daddy said, " _you can't please everyone."_ Her daddy is always right too. _What she really wants to be is..._

An excruciating yell cuts off her thoughts. She jumps, and goosebumps instantly sprout out across her skin. That voice, _she knows it_. Her eyes quickly look ahead and at her apartment complex as she straightens up. Her feet begin moving on their own, carrying her swiftly into her home.

She bursts through the doors, panting heavily from her swift sprint. The air inside is even more cold than the air outside. It's darker than normal too. She runs through a freshly constructed spider web, gasping and waving her arms around to get it off. Then as soon as she opens the last door to her home, all the color drains from her face.

Her dad is hunched over on the old wooden dining table, trembling intensely. Half of his attire is singed, revealing charred skin. It's an angry red and freshly scalded, appearing slimy in texture. It begins at his shoulders and spreads across his back, disappearing at his waist-line. Hotaru's chest ices over and her eyes grow wide in terror.

"Damn that Endeavor!" Her dad roars, slamming his fist onto the table and the rotting wood cracks. His eyelids clamp together, and his legs give out.

"Daddy!" Hotaru cries out and runs to his side. Her hands move to touch him only to halt. She can feel the heat rising off of him. Fear fills her. She doesn't know what to do. His eyes hard snap open and move over to her.

"Taru," He bites out. "Bring me… water."

She moves quickly, complying and following his request with zero questions asked. The amount of pain her dad is in is evident to her. Tears sting at her eyes. In record time she runs into the kitchen and grabs hold of the pack of plastic water bottles. It's too heavy to carry, so she drags towards him. She holds a bottle out to him.

"Open it." He commands, and she instantly begins to twist the cap. The rough plastic makes her fingers red. She's shaking too much, and her grip is weak.

"I-I can't open—!" She stutters in panic, only for her dad to snatch the bottle from her and hold it over his head. He ruptures the entire bottle with his grip alone, making the water drench him. He hisses loudly.

"Come on, Taru!" He glares at her form that it just sitting then and unsure. "You need to help me!"

Hotaru reaches for another water bottle, trying her best to get it open. She's having even less success than before. That was the first time her dad has yelled at her and looked at her the same way her mom does. His glaring eyes start to affect her even more and she can no longer hold back her hurt tears. Her dad curses and snatches the bottle from her yet again, opening it himself.

"Worthless." He seethes, even nudging her away. She falls backwards and onto her bottom, staring at her dad with a hurt expression. He glances at her and sighs stressfully. "I... didn't mean that."

"Rai!" Her mom comes running in, looking winded. "I'm so sorry I didn't get to you in time—!"

Hotaru is nudged further back once again by her mom as she drops onto her knees and by her dad. The way she's sitting is blocking him from her sight. Her dad raises his hand with a wince, silencing her.

"It's not your fault. More importantly," Rai draws in a painful breath as he begins to stand with her help. "We need to hurry and get back out there. They are all fools if they think I am going to let them get away with this. Did you get his name?"

"Yes." Cierra nods sharply with narrowed eyes. "It's 'Todoroki.'"

The two of them freeze and stare at each other with enlarged eyes. Simultaneously, they both turn to Hotaru who's still on the ground. She's scooting backwards slowly, shaking her head desperately. Tears have stained her cheeks and her eyelids have swollen as a result from their leakage.

"Taru!" Rai towers over her. "Your friend. What was his name?"

Hotaru continues to shake her head and her back comes in contact with the wall. Rai's face twists angrily and he crouches down, grabbing a fistful of her clothing. Hotaru screams and starts punching his chest as he shakes her lightly.

"Answer me!" He roars. "You wanted to help me, didn't you? So why aren't you helping me now when I need it most?!"

"Leave it, Rai." Cierra grabs her Rai's hand tightly, making him release her. He takes multiple steps back, glaring at Hotaru and breathing through his teeth. Her mom takes his face into her hands and smiles. "Her friend's name was 'Shoto Todoroki.'"

"N-no! It wasn't!" Hotaru chokes out. "It wasn't that!"

"Oh, but it was!" Cierra laughs and clasps her hands together. "You always see him at the park, don't you?"

"No!" Hotaru cries.

"Let's go." Rai turns and quickly begins making his way towards the door. Cierra skips after him. "What better way to get him back, than to target his own son?"

Those words make Hotaru jump onto her feet and run after her parents as she screams bloody murder. They close her door before she can follow them outside. A clicking sound reaches her ears just before she grips to doorknob to turn it. It doesn't budge. It's locked. All she can do is continue to scream and bang on the door.

How can she be a hero if she can't even save her best friend? How can she be a villain when she can't give her own parents the information they need to perform their villainous acts? _Just how worthless is she?_

•

"...Hotaru Aihara?" Endeavor stares down at Shoto. "And just how do you know that this girl is related to Lightning Beast?"

Shoto swallows thickly, fighting back tears as he holds his father's intimidating gaze. His body trembles. He knows because she had the same colored shoes on as the child in the photo displayed on the news. He knows because she went missing at the same time crime reports were on the rise along with the sighting of the villain. He knows because of her strange behavior today, and her words spoken. It didn't take him long at all to put the pieces together.

The amount of betrayal and hurt in him is overflowing. She's the nicest person he's ever met. She was his first friend. Weren't they supposed to be heroes together? _She was his hero._ The thought of Hotaru being a villain makes him bitter. What was she trying to do then by befriending him? Yet, there is a small amount of hope in him that she isn't a villain. That's why telling his father about her was his best option to find out for sure, right?

If his father can track her down, he'll know the truth. His dad won't be able to harm her out in public and with his Hero Agency around. She'll be safe. _If she's a villain, though…_ His body goes rigid. Maybe this was a mistake.

"Shoto!" Endeavor roars, making him flinch.

"I seen her at the park." Shoto quickly responds. "She looked like the girl in the picture."

"You left the house?" Endeavor questions in a low and dangerous tone.

"I-I'm sorry!"

"Tsk." He grunts angrily. "I'll deal with your punishment later. Do you know where she lives?"

"N-No. But…"

Shoto tells him the direction she came from today. After that, Endeavor pushes past him and stomps down the hall. Tears sting at Shoto's eyes and he runs after his father. He grabs onto his much larger hand, making his turquoise eyes glare into his heterochromia ones.

"D-Don't hurt her. Please!"

His words result in him getting pushed harshly onto the ground, leaving him alone to cry.

Endeavor

Lightning flashes brightly, lighting up the night. Endeavor stares at the decrepit apartment complex in front of him with police officers and heroes from his agency standing behind him. Instantly he takes note of how the building is gradually crumbling away. His eyes narrow, the fire around him blazing brightly.

"The trail of blood leads inside, Endeavor sir! It still appears to be fresh!" One of the rookies alerts him. His lips only twitch in acknowledgement and he begins making his way forward.

"Stand guard out here and surround the building" Endeavor orders. "And stay cautious."

Endeavor enters the building alone, leaving everyone else to stand on guard. It was fairly easy to locate this building. Given the description of the young girl Shoto provided, along with how she appears frequently at the park, all he had to do was locate her on a city camera and track her from there. He smirks to himself.

If this girl really is linked to Lightning Beast somehow, he'll be able to use her to lure him in. It's only then he'll be able to take down that highly ranked villain and maybe even be considered better than All Might himself.

He comes across a locked door and his natural frown grows deeper. His fist pounds on the wooden door harshly. This is the first locked door he's come across in this building. It only makes sense for something to be valuable on the other side, or perhaps _someone._ He looks down, seeing a trail of splattered blood, most likely from the fresh injury the villain received from his flames. All of the pieces are coming together. He has no doubt in his mind that Shoto was right.

After banging on the door a few times and receiving no answer, he kicks it down with a loud bang and steps inside. The apartment is gloomy and unkempt. His face twists in disgust. Only villains could live like this. The sound of weeping makes him look over.

In the corner is a young girl. She's sitting on the dirty ground and hugging her knees to her chest. Her wide silver eyes are gazing at his fiery form. She's the spitting image of Lightning Beast. He smirks in accomplishment and approaches her, making her scoot back further against the wall in fear.

"You're coming with me." He states, the fire he's giving off reflecting on her form. Slowly, her eyes travel up his large body until her eyes meet his. Her pupils shrink, and she remains unmoving. "Now!"

She doesn't even flinch from his loud voice. Instead, she continues to stare into his eyes. She's seen those eyes before. This man reminds her so much of a certain someone. Just before he reaches down to snatch her up, he hears a faint voice yell from outside. The sound travels easily due to the many openings in the building.

"Is everything alright in there, Endeavor?!"

"...Endeavor?" Hotaru repeats to herself. The sound of thunder rumbles faintly right when lightning flashes just outside and something in her snaps.

His eyes gaze down at her gratingly, his form towering over her. Her blood turns ice cold and her shrunken pupils flash, holding a crazed demeanor. Blood begins dripping from her hands as her nails dig into her skin, a result from her tight fists.

Endeavor is the one who scarred her father. This man is the one who made her father view her as worthless. This man is the reason her life is so disorderly. This man is why her family is stuck living like this. But, most of all, _he is the cause of Shoto's tears._

"You hurt him." She murmurs. "You ruined everything." Her silver orbs transform into a blinding blue. Endeavor's eyes narrow. "I'll kill you. I'll… kill you!"

Hotaru stands quickly, static tickling her flesh and making her hair even more wild. Lightning gathers around her form as she launches herself towards this monster in front of her. Her fist is aimed at his leg, that being the only spot she can reach. Just before her attack comes in contact with him, he sidesteps. Her eyes enlarge, and something comes in contact with the back of her neck.

She drops onto her knees, black spots dancing and weaving together across her vision. The back of her hand finds her throbbing nape. Fire enters her line of sight. She opens her mouth to scream but nothing comes out. She tries to start kicking and punching but her limbs won't comply.

"Kill me?" Endeavor's faint voice is barely picked up by her ears. He sounds amused. "You definitely are that fool's daughter."

Hotaru's silver orbs slowly begin to shut against her will, her consciousness drifting far off and out of her reach. She feels herself being picked up. The last thing she hears before her world is turned black makes her heart stagger.

"Shoto was right, after all…"

The amount of betrayal growing within her making her feel as if she's drowning. Shoto told him about her? _Even after she went against her parents' wishes to try and protect him…_ he sold her out? How did he know? How long did he know? Did he really not care about her at all? They were friends… _weren't they?_

Villain

"She's a cute kid. Too bad."

"Is it too late to change her nature? Who knows what her messed up parents told her…"

"What do we do with her when all is said and done? Send her to an orphanage?"

"I know… Endeavor! Adopt her!"

"Tsk."

Hotaru's eyes slowly crack open. Lights briefly shine onto her form. _Street lights._ She's in the backseat of a car that's driving down the city road, occasionally going over bumps and potholes that make her small body bob. There is a faint buzzing noise from the vents blasting warm air into the vehicle. Her eyes, even though her vision is blurry, direct themselves toward the window.

It's still dark outside and in the middle of the night. The towering buildings act as nightlights, and the flashing red and blue lights make her breath catch. _Police lights?_ Everything comes rushing back at her. Fear coils around her and weighs her down like tight shackles. _She's been captured!_

"Oh… hey! She's awake."

Hotaru sits up instantly and looks to the side. A man is sitting next to her. _A hero._ His outfit screams "Native American." He's smiling in a kind way, though his brown eyes give off the impression that he's relatively nervous that she has regained consciousness.

"Hey there…" He begins carefully, keeping his tone gentle. "How are you feeling?"

Keeping her lips sealed instead of answering, Hotaru quickly looks around. There are two other people in the car. A policeman is driving the car and Endeavor himself is sitting in the passenger seat. Her silver orbs meet his turquoise ones from the rearview mirror. Instantly, her teeth grit and she glares. In her anger, she begins to unintentionally and unknowingly active her Quirk. It shines in her eyes.

"C-crap!" The hero next to her recoils slightly, seeming at a loss about what to do.

"Don't worry." Endeavor states, his eyes not leaving hers. He smirks slightly. "She won't do anything too reckless unless she wants to risk blowing up the car with her in it."

His words make Hotaru's lips part as confusion washes over her. _Her… blowing up a car?_ That's when her eyes move away from Endeavor and move to her own reflection in the mirror. She gasps. There is a faint blue glow surrounding her along with tiny sparks. She raises her hands in front of her, staring at them wide-eyed. It looks like her daddy's lightning. _Could it be?_

"I have… a Quirk?" She whispers to herself. Her pulse races in her ears. Experimentally, she curls her fingers and embraces this new feeling. The slight shocking sensation, the coldness surrounding her, the heat she feels when she makes the sparks intensify, it feels… _amazing._ Gradually, her lips curl upwards.

Her Quirk has finally manifested. With her Quirk, she can now show her parents that she isn't worthless. With her Quirk, she can now do what she always wanted to. _What she wants…_ What was it that she wanted again?

She finds herself reliving every single moment of her life thus far. The fiery man in the front seat, the events of today and everything that's happened tonight, it sets her off. She knows what she wants. The line has been cut and a burning hatred is born inside of her.

She wants to make her parents proud, to show them that she's exactly what they hoped she be. She wants to be able to be by their side always, to prove them wrong even. She wants to extract revenge. She can be… whatever she wants to be. _What she wants to be is..._

"D-Don't…!" Hotaru's form becomes shrouded in vivid lightning as she yells. "Underestimate a villain!"

Lightning travels throughout the whole vehicle, everyone's painful screams following instantly. The car weaves and spins across the road, leaving behind a thick black trail of skid marks. Brutal impact happens shortly afterwards, then the sound of an explosion erupts. The windows shatter and all Hotaru can see is fire.

Her small body comes tumbling out of the burning vehicle, cuts and bruises decorating her skin. Blood trickles down her features. She falls onto her hands and knees, her body trembling. Her anger is more intense than her pain. Using every ounce of her strength, she pushes herself to crawl forward.

"Endeavor…" Her eyes mimic a severe lightning storm as she glares towards the sky. There is nothing but hatred in her venomous voice as she whispers the name of the person she resents the most in the world. _The person who ruined everything_. Then, that person steps in front of her.

Hotaru glares up at him, only for her silver orbs to widen. He's completely unscratched from her attack. Uneasy beads of sweat form on her temple from his cold stare. Is she still weak even with a Quirk? She tries to activate it again but it's in vain. She's too panicked to focus properly, and that panic grows when he reaches out towards her. All she can do is scoot backwards.

What should she do? What can she do? How could she possibly escape this monster? She can't do anything against him. He injured her powerful daddy severely, he snuck into her home and kidnapped her without breaking a sweat, and he is completely unfazed by her lightning and the crash she caused. She's too scared to do anything other than scream.

"D-Daddy!" Hotaru shrieks desperately, bringing her hands over her eyes to block out Endeavor's terrifying form. Tears stream down her face, then loud thunder makes her jump. She hears a grunt, and then arms wrap around her tightly. Her eyes snap open.

"Taru. My dear Taru..." Her daddy breathes out in relief, holding her more tightly against his front. She looks up at his face, noticing how he looks like he has been trapped in a nightmare. His eyes that were squeeze shut open and quickly scan her over. "Are you alright?"

Not being able to form any words in her mouth, Hotaru nods weakly and hugs her daddy tightly. Enormous amounts of relief wash over her at his presence. _He saved her._ However, she pulls back slightly. Her brows knit together. Is he not mad at her anymore, despite what happened between them earlier?

At her response, he grins at her before his eyes move to the wrecked car she was just in. A joyous and deep laugh rumbles from his throat and he looks at her once more in a way he's never had before. He looks unbelievably proud. _Proud of her._ She's been longing for that expression for so long.

She always imagined herself grinning from ear to ear when this moment came, but she can't form any kind of expression. She always thought she would feel a happiness that would make her feel like she's walking on air, but she feels void of anything.

Endeavor recovers from her daddy's attack, making her daddy release her. He stands up, placing himself in front of her protectively and blocking the man of fire from her sight. Hotaru stares at his back impassively, and her eyes slowly widen. If he's here, _does this mean that Shoto…?_

"Run, Taru." He daddy commands her, and she complies instantly. There is no need for him to tell her twice, and before he even spoke her feet began moving on their own. All she can think about is Shoto. She needs to get to him and make sure he's okay.

Then, she realizes that her mommy isn't here. Did she find Shoto? Fear fills her, and she begins to blame and curse herself. If anything were to happen to Shoto because of her, she would never forgive herself.

The Native American Hero runs after her, easily gaining on her with his longer stride. Before he grabs onto her, a wicked and familiar laugh echoes. Hotaru can recognize that laugh from anywhere. Her mommy is standing on the street light just above her, and her eyes are glowing red. Warped black haze rolls off of her and she jumps down, cutting off the Native American Hero.

"Two-Face...!?" He exclaims, calling her mommy by her villain name.

"How dare you take what's mine, you hero scum?!"

That's the last thing Hotaru hears before the sounds of battle break loose as she disappears into the dark alley.

Fragmentary Friendship

Shoto runs down the dark alley, the sound of his heavy footsteps and breathing making rats scatter. He has no clue where he's going, but despite that he keeps pushing forward. _Taru._ If his dad hurts her, if she gets hurt because of him, he'll never forgive himself.

He needs to find her to make sure she's okay. He needs to find her to ask her personally and to find out for sure if she's a villain or not _._ His heart constricts. _If she really is a villain though…_ His teeth grit.

The instant he turns down a different pathway, a body rams into his with enough force to send him sprawling out across the icy ground. He groans and clutches at his forehead, slowly sitting up with a wince. The first thing his eyes focus on is the other body sprawled out across the ground in front of him. They sit up slowly, groaning and clutching their forehead as well. Shoto instantly recognizes those silver orbs. Her eyes widen when they meet his.

"Taru!" Shoto exclaims and instantly crawls forward.

"S-Sho!" Hotaru breathes out and launches herself into his chest. Her arms wrap tightly around his midsection, her tear-stained face buried in his chest. His arms instantly wrap around her in return. "Y-you're okay!"

He almost exclaims how she is too, but it doesn't take him long at all to notice the cuts and bruises decorating her skin, along with how some parts of her attire and torn and stained red. Slowly, he unwinds his arms from around her. Seeing her like this almost makes him nauseous. Did his father do this to her? _If he did…_

"What happened to you?" Shoto asks carefully, his voice holding an obvious tremble. Hotaru pulls back, her lips down turning at his dismal expression. He almost looks like he's going to cry, and her first instinct is to cheer him up. Shaking her head, she forces a smile.

"I'm okay! This happened when…" She trails off, her words getting sucked back down her throat. Her smile fades and any emotion shining in her silver orbs disappear. She reminds herself right now, that she didn't want to see him just to make sure he's okay. "This happened when I escaped from Endeavor."

"He hurt you?" Shoto whispers in question, his fingers curling into fists.

"No, but he kidnapped me from my home and tried to take me away." Hotaru answers, slowly breaking eye contact with him. "He said… you told him about me. Why would you do that, Shoto?! I thought we were friends! So why—?!"

Hotaru grunts when Shoto shoves her off of him. She lands roughly on her backside, her eyes shutting as she winces. When she re-opens her eyes, she sees him towering over her with a heated glare. Her heart shatters and she finds herself scooting backwards, those eyes of his mimicking Endeavors perfectly. Moisture wells up in her silver orbs.

"Your dad then… is really Lightning Beast?" Shoto demands, his fingernails digging into his palms.

"...Y-Yes." She whispers, moving her gaze to the ground.

"And that kid that's been spotted with him, is you?"

Hotaru doesn't answer him, but the tears falling from her eyes gives it away. Shoto's heart sinks heavily. Betrayal is evident on his face as he stares at her. His best friend… _is it really true?_

"This whole time… you were a villain?" He asks the question that shatters both of them. She gives the smallest of nods and hatred fills his eyes along with angry tears. "You hurt people! How could you, Taru?! Why?! Why do you want to be a villain?!"

"What about you?!" Hotaru stands up, glaring at him too. "Why do you want to be a hero?! This…!" She holds up her bloody arm to him, comparing it to her daddy's new burn scar. "This happened because of you! You're no better than Endeavor!"

"Take that back!" Shoto stomps towards her and she shakes her head.

"You're just like him! You're evil! You were my best friend and you betrayed me!"

"Heroes and villains can't be friends!"

"Says who?! You're a big jerk! I hope Endeavor keeps making you cry!"

"I hope my dad locks up your dad forever, _villain!_ " Shoto spits.

"I hope my dad kills your family slowly, _hero!_ " Hotaru screeches.

The two of them are breathing heavily through their yells, sweat drenching their skin as they continue to glare hatefully at one another. Their friendship turning out like this is something neither of them would have predicted. If Shoto knew, he wouldn't have approached her, and if Hotaru knew, she would've turned him away the instant he made himself known.

"I wish…" Shoto's angry tears spill over. "I never met you."

"I wish so too." Hotaru chokes out and shoves past him, making him stumble on his feet.

Shoto glares after Hotaru as she strides away, wiping at her eyes as she does. His jaw is tight, and his body is trembling in anger. Slowly, he adjusts himself, so his left side is facing her. Her words replay in his head, stinging his mercilessly like a thousand bees.

Those words she spoke push for him to send spiky walls of ice in her direction, but, in the end, he doesn't. And just like his own words try to compel Hotaru to send lightning back at him, she doesn't.

In this moment, they both decide if they should ever meet again, _they won't hold back._

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Remembrance

❤•○●○•❤

"Aw," Hotaru coos with a teasing smile, leaning forward and placing her hands neatly in her lap. Her eyes glint mockingly. "You sat with me while I slept? Such an admirable hero you are—"

Aizawa glares at her and she slowly sinks back further into the bed, bringing her covers with her. He almost smirks when she mumbles with a tremble in her voice.

"...S-sorry, Aizawa-san."

* * *

 **A/N: There will be more young Hotaru and young Shoto past interactions, but this is just all the juicy and important stuff.** (◕ω◕✿)

 **Next chapter, we are back to present time!**


	5. Remembrance

**Oblivious ninja IJ** : I hate him too, eheh. Well, at this point I do. I'm kind of growing to like him a little bit now. |◔◡◉|

 **AugustRrush** : Thank you! And I'm excited too! I can't wait to get this story _really_ going!

•

 **Once again and as always, thank you to all my readers, followers, reviewers, etc!**

 **I appreciate each and every one of you!** ❤

 **There's another** •sneak peek• **at the end, those are looking like they'll become a regular thing, if that's okay?**

 **Anyways,**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Remembrance

❤•○●○•❤

* * *

The first thing Hotaru is aware of when she starts to regain consciousness is the warm breeze caressing her skin, along with the light radiating from the sun shining through her eyelids. She's lying in a nicely cushioned bed and tucked beneath silky sheets. Slowly, she opens her eyes, then feeling something cold gliding down her cheek.

She raises her hand towards her face, drawing it back afterwards to see a salty bead of moisture sticking to her fingertip. It glistens from the sunlight streaming onto it. After staring at it for a moment longer with a blank expression, she moves herself into a sitting position. She rubs at her irritated eye before looking off to the side.

A large window is before her, open and letting in the fresh outdoor air. The cream-colored curtains blow about delicately. Focusing past the curtains, she can see U.A.'s campus in all its glory. A crease forms in her brow as confusion washes over her. As soon as she inwardly asks herself what happened, everything comes rushing back at her full force.

With a sigh, she brushes back her messy strands of hair. _That's right._ She passed out after saving that perverted boy, going against her father's wishes to do so. He's probably going to clobber her for that, _if he finds out._ Hotaru isn't one to keep secrets from him, though. Keeping a secret like this isn't likely on top of that. Conclusively, it's obvious to her that saving Mineta wasn't worth it. _Oh well_. What's done is done. She'll just have to deal with it.

Turning her attention away from the window, she looks ahead to see medical posters decorating the minty wall. It seems she was taken to the nurse's office, which doesn't really surprise her considering what she did. Coming here herself is something she doesn't remember, and she knows that would've been impossible. She wonders, who was brave enough to carry her all the way here?

Just when she turns her head to study the rest of the room and gather intel, her eyes are instantly drawn to a man sitting by her bedside. She nearly leaps out of her skin, startled that someone else is present in the room. It's the Pro Hero, Eraserhead. _Shouta Aizawa._ He's gazing at her quietly with his half-opened eyes. The two of them stare at each other wordlessly for a full minute.

"You look better." Aizawa states, breaking the silence with his drowsy voice.

"Eraserhead…" Hotaru murmurs to herself before smiling idly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Tsk." He closes his eyes and leans back in his chair, arms folding over his chest. "I was just asked to sit in here and watch you. There's nothing more to it."

"Aw," She coos with a teasing smile, leaning forward and placing her hands neatly in her lap. Her eyes glint mockingly. "You sat with me while I slept? Such an admirable hero you are—"

Aizawa glares at her, making the rest of her words get caught in her throat. She slowly sinks back further into the bed, bringing her covers with her. He almost smirks when she mumbles with a tremble in her voice.

"...S-Sorry, Aizawa-san."

Hotaru has the covers all the way up and over her nose, only leaving her eyes unveiled. She's staring up at the ceiling in obvious thought. What she's thinking about is something Aizawa doesn't know. Whatever it is, it's capable of making her look bothered and tentative.

"That's what I should call you, right?" Hotaru asks, turning her head in his direction. "Aizawa-san? Or, should I use 'sensei' instead?"

"Don't care." He waves her off before his eyes narrow slightly. "Why are you really here? You're not here to be a hero, so what are you trying to achieve?"

"I just want to get into U.A." She answers smoothly. "The outstanding heroics program aside, it also has some of the best general courses too."

"I find it hard to believe that the daughter of the infamous Lightning Beast and Two-Face would choose this school in particular to attend just to take 'general courses.'"

Hotaru lets out a miffed sigh and sits up in bed. She bends her knees, leaning forward and hugging them to her chest. It is very impressive how keen Pro Heroes are. Aizawa in particular is someone who she has to respect, due to his straightforward nature. Getting around him won't be easy. As a matter of fact, it's impossible. This is the second time he has read her like an open book. She smirks slightly.

Well, she already knows she didn't get into U.A. due to her poor performance, as well as the fact that she's an obvious villain. Why Nezu even allowed her to go through with the exam is beyond her. She's surprised that she's not behind bars. Actually, it's very troubling. Did he really have an underlying goal? She's nearly a hundred percent sure now that he does, _or did._ It's way over her head.

Either way, there is nothing else for her to lose. How very disappointing. She may as well enjoy herself. Being this close to a hero is something that doesn't happen to her very often. This will be the third hero she actually held a conversation with, Nezu being first and All Might second. She won't count Present Mic's teasing.

"You're very sharp, Aizawa-san." Hotaru speaks, her cheek squishing against her knees as she uses them as a headrest. "I had a goal, yes. And ultimately I failed to achieve it." Her silver orbs lock with his onyx ones. "Don't worry. I won't cause any trouble for you or your school. To show just that, I will answer any questions you have truthfully."

"You're very generous, for a villain." He states in a way as if he's returning her compliment of him being sharp. Though, she's sure that's just a misunderstanding on her part. He's actually lucky she's in a surprisingly good mood. "What was your goal?"

"That is something I don't have permission to disclose."

"Figures." He shrugs, expecting as much. Knowing he won't get anything more than that, he moves on. "Then, why did you save that boy?"

"Mineta-kun?" Hotaru questions, her eyes widening somewhat. Aizawa nods and she stares ahead at the wall.

Thinking over his question, Hotaru replays the events of the practical part of the exam carefully through her head. Once she reaches the part of her—dare she say it… "heroic" act, her lips press together firmly. That old dream of hers comes into the light, and she can almost swear familiar heterochromia orbs flash before her. Her lips downturn and she frowns deeply, turning her head so her hateful eyes aren't in Aizawa's sight.

"I just felt like it. That's all." She answers. Silence hovers in the air, a clear sign that he doesn't believe her at all. Gradually, her eyelids start to lower, only to snap fully open when All Might's voice echoes in her head.

•

" _I do know a villain when I see one, but I also know a hero when I see one, and a hero is what I see in you."_

•

"Actually, Aizawa-san…" Hotaru slowly looks back over at him. She quickly surveys the room to make sure no one else is present, and his eyes broaden slightly at her next words. "Would you believe me if I said that my feet just moved on their own?"

"Your feet moved on their own?" He can't help but to repeat, having a hard time believing that coming from someone like her. But, the way she's looking at him so uncertainty, it's almost as if she's asking if that's possible.

"I was a little scared, honestly." She admits, fidgeting with the covers. Suddenly, a boastful smirk forms on her face that wipes away her previous expression of unease. "And I'm actually quite hard to scare—"

He gives her an openly bland look at that obvious lie, recalling how moments earlier just his glare alone had her cowering under the sheets.

"But, maybe it was an adrenaline rush?" She murmurs more to herself than him.

"An adrenaline rush intense enough to nearly make you rupture your own insides?"

"I see. So, that's what happened."

"You don't sound surprised."

"Well, no." She shrugs lightly with an amused smile, thinking back to how fast she moved to get to Mineta. "Normally, it would only be possible to travel that fast if I were on a terrain that conducts electricity. I overexerted myself and doing so with that technique can easily be fatal." She holds her hand up in front of her, generating lightning in her palm. "Though, I think the real problem is that I was careless."

The way that technique works is by her channeling lightning through her own body, focusing it solely on her muscles. When she said she was careless, she was referring to how she diverted her attention away from where exactly she was channeling her lightning and exactly how much.

Her body naturally has a resistance to lightning, actually, any electrical element. However, that resistance isn't infinite. Thus, after certain periods of time her body will start to overheat and require a break to cool down. It's very annoying.

"Anyways," Hotaru closes her eyes briefly before looking Aizawa's way, making the lightning in her palm disperse. She feels she said more than she should have, although she doesn't regret it. It was nothing too important. "I'm done talking now. If I continue, you'll know too much, and if you know too much…" She smirks and tilts her head slightly, her silver orbs glinting dangerously. "I'll have to kill you."

Aizawa stares at her impassively, his eyes not once adverting from her own villainous ones. He's wearing that bland look again, and Hotaru's smirk slowly fades away. Don't tell her, does he not believe a single thing she says? Or, maybe he just doesn't take her seriously? No matter the reason, why isn't he at least glaring at her? Her eyes widen slightly. It's just like All Might and Nezu.

Those two are the only heroes who didn't give her some kind of grim look upon their first meeting. Now that she really thinks about it, Aizawa didn't look at her in such a way either. He merely observed her from a distance and didn't speak up until he… _read her like an open book_. He is keener than she thought. Perhaps she should be more enigmatic.

Her cheeks puff out slightly as she thinks further, watching as Aizawa grabs a juice box out of seemingly nowhere and drinks it until it shrivels. Something else strikes her, something more troubling than anything else. _Does he have faith in her too, that she can become a hero?_ She nearly sighs out loud. It really is disappointing how delusional these great heroes are.

She has no doubt that if they were able to delve into her head and read every single bit of her thoughts, or were somehow able to discover all of her past actions, they wouldn't have the tiniest bit of faith in her. Her life is wrapped in secrecy and very unfathomable, but surely, they know of some things she's done?

There is a knock on the door that causes her and Aizawa to look over. The door opens shortly afterwards, revealing a short and elderly woman. She's wearing a doctor's lab coat and carrying a cane shaped like a syringe. Hotaru's eyes follow her as she walks into the room.

This is the nurse of this school. If Hotaru remembers correctly, her hero name is "Recovery Girl." She has quite the healing quirk from what she hears, and any restorative quirk is very rare. So, this woman is responsible for healing her up. She comes to a stop by her bedside, and Hotaru takes this as the perfect time to express her thanks.

"Recovery Girl, right?" Hotaru dips her head. "Thank you for—"

The dipping of her head along with her slight bow makes her in range of Recovery Girl, and the elderly woman deems that the perfect time to whack her on top of her head with her cane, cutting her off. Hotaru yelps and clutches at her now throbbing head, her body hunched over and her hair falling over her face. She's trembling in pain, _and utmost irritation._

Her fingers are twitching, and her hand slowly rises, battling intensely with the urge to form lightning. Drawing in a profound breath to compose herself, she lets her revengeful limb fall back to her side. This is not the time or place to fight. She's fully aware of Aizawa's quirk and knows that with a simple glance he could erase her own quirk, which would put her at a severe disadvantage.

"That was for being reckless! You nearly killed yourself!" Recovery Girl utters, bringing her cane back onto the ground. "But moving on, dear, you do look a whole lot better. How are you feeling?"

"Hmph," Hotaru laughs to herself, lowering her hand from her head. She raises her head and glares at the woman through the shadow cast over her face, this glare making her match her father perfectly. "You nearly gave me a concussion, and now you're asking how I'm feeling? But…" She looks to the side a little sheepishly. "I guess… I kind of deserved that."

"Of course, you did." Recovery Girl states evenly, turning on her heels and heading towards her work desk that's home to her computer. "That was quite the stunt you pulled off. You had everyone gawking."

"Yeah?" Hotaru mumbles to herself, lying back down in bed and draping her arm over her forehead. "Glad you liked it."

"Why, you don't sound very proud of yourself at all. You should be." Recovery Girl looks at her with a frown. "You're a hero."

"A hero is anything but what I am. Seriously, it's a lost cause." She looks over at Aizawa, betting she'll get the most honest answer from him out of anybody else. "Don't you agree, Aizawa-san?"

"I don't find you hopeless if that's what you're asking." He responds, and her eyes widen. She sits up in a flash, not sure on how those words should be taken.

"What are you saying?" She asks with furrowed brows. He redirects his eyes from her and stands, making her lean forward and frown. "Aizawa-san?"

"Now that you're here, I can leave, right?" Aizawa asks Recovery Girl, paying no mind to the now glaring Hotaru.

"That was the deal." The elderly woman nods. "Thanks for watching her for me."

Aizawa silently waves her off, a gesture saying, "it was no big deal." He begins making his way towards the door. Does he intend to just leave Hotaru's question unanswered? Her frown deepens, and she begins to stand to follow after him. However, Recovery Girl jabbing her cane at her prevents her from doing so.

"You're not going anywhere just yet, young lady." She declares, making Hotaru let out a loud sigh. "I need to talk to you about your health."

"Fine." Hotaru shuts her eyes briefly. Her legs are now dangling over the edge of the bed, and she rests her elbows atop them while her chin settles in the palms of her hands. She really doesn't want to cause a huge scene just yet, so she'll cooperate for now.

"First things first," Recovery Girl walks on over to her. "I should tell you that you've been sleeping for the past day and a half."

Hotaru's lips remain sealed, but her eyes slowly widen. That was something she did not expect. She can't recall ever sleeping that long before. _Hold on._ That also means she hasn't been home for nearly a whole two days. She keeps her gaze downcast.

"My mom," She begins, keeping her tone steady. "She didn't try to come up here, did she?"

"No." Recovery Girl answers.

Hotaru's hair has somewhat fallen over her face, but the elderly woman can easy distinguish her lips parting as she lets out a mollified breath. Silence hovers in the air for a few moments, and Recovery Girl's face gradually starts to show concern.

"I should head home now. She's probably very worried."

"I understand." Recovery Girl acknowledges, placing her hand on Hotaru's shoulder. "Don't worry too much, dear. Principal Nezu has contacted her to let her know that you are fine. So, me holding you for a few more minutes shouldn't be a huge problem."

That makes Hotaru bury her face in her hands. Somehow, knowing that Principle Nezu has contacted her mom makes her feel even worse. Her mom can be very… how should she put it? She guesses some would say "psychotic," but she would describe her as just plain overdramatic. It wouldn't be a surprise to her if her mom took that simple contact as a threat of some sort. She could inwardly imagine her forming an army. However, if she hasn't shown up here maybe she held onto her head for once.

"Alright." Hotaru slowly lowers her hands from her face. "What else exactly do you need to tell me about my health? From the way you're looking at me it's as if I injured myself more than I was made aware. I feel fine, if that's what you're wondering."

"I'm sure you feel wonderful." Recovery Girl agrees with how she currently feels. Hotaru tilts her head slightly in silent question. The elderly woman then takes that moment to study the teen.

The dark rings that have been under her eyes are absent, and her silvery orbs look brighter than what she thought was their normal dull gray color. Right now, she definitely doesn't look like a gloomy villain as she typically would. She looks more lively, pure even. _A normal teenage girl._ Her hair is still a complete rats nest, though.

"You lack muscle for your age, and it's clear you haven't been getting enough sleep too." Recovery Girl starts up again. "Those factors are also affecting your stamina greatly."

Hotaru stares at her blankly. With how her brows are knit together, and how her lips are slightly downturned, it's as if she's worried for her. Hotaru smiles with a light shrug, looking off to the side.

"I guess that's fortunate on your part." She says. "It's no big deal. You shouldn't worry about a villain, _hero._ "

"It is a big deal!" Recovery Girl brings her cane down harshly on the top of Hotaru's head once again, nearly making her fall off of the bed. "You're my patient! Why wouldn't I worry?"

"You know," Hotaru bites out while clutching at her head once again. She can feel a bump forming. "You were lucky I didn't decide to shock you the first time. But now, you are _really_ tempting me. Next time I won't hold myself back."

"Do it."

"Excuse me?" Hotaru blinks in confusion.

"Shock me."

"Alright, then." Hotaru smirks and out stretches her hand, her palm facing the elderly nurse. "Just so you know," Lightning sparks to life from her fingertips, her eyes resembling a lightning storm to match. Blue illuminates the entire room. "It's unlikely you'll survive. Are you aware of how intense lightning really is?"

"Yes."

"I'm thinking I'll use my max voltage on you. It'll fry up all of your cells."

"Very well."

"...You'll die." Hotaru says slowly, trying to get those words to sink in, and the old woman simply nods.

Something is not right here. Why would this old woman, a hero, a staff at this very school, let her shock her? The possibility that she may be suicidal crosses her mind. Her silver orbs narrow slightly. This has to be another test, similar to the one Present Mic put her through with his "teasing." They still intend to test her even though she failed the entrance exam?

"You heroes..." Hotaru withdraws her hand and her lightning fades. "Are very annoying." She looks away from the nurse. "I'm not going to shock you."

Recovery Girl starts laughing and Hotaru fights off the temptation of rolling her eyes, but her eyelid twitches in annoyance. She has no clue what this woman is trying to accomplish.

"I knew you wouldn't." Recovery Girl smiles, her voice soft as if she's talking to her beloved grandchild. She's a rather spunky woman it seems.

"I don't think you did. You misjudge me. But," Hotaru waves her hand through the air lazily. "Do you have any other concerns you'd like to express? Or can I leave now?"

"Just be sure to take better care of yourself, dear. You can leave," She says and right after Hotaru stands she adds on. "After you eat. Your food should be here any second now."

"That's not going to happen." Hotaru disagrees with leaving only after she eats.

Staying here any longer than what's necessary is something she's not interested in doing. Her feet carry her over to her bag she only just noticed resting in the corner of the room, along with her shoes. After slinging her bag over her shoulder and sliding on her shoes, she faces the elderly nurse who's now situated at her desk. Hotaru gives a small bow.

"Thank you, Recovery Girl." She conveys sincerely for how she healed her. Turning so her back is to her, she waves from over her shoulder and heads to the door, ignoring the nurse's disapproved frown. "If it makes you feel better, I'll eat on the way home—"

As soon as she opens the door, the most wonderful scent invades her nostrils. Not only that, a chef that looks strangely like a robot is standing in her way with a food tray. Hotaru blinks a couple times before her eyes are drawn towards the plate on the tray, the source of the amazing smell.

Freshly steamed white rice, green vegetables with sauce drizzled over them, beef udon topped with the most divine seasoning, cute little sandwich wraps, s _he even sees chocolate milk._ Hotaru's silver orbs widen, sparkles forming in them as she continues to stare at the meal. Her jaw goes slack. Was this meant for her?

When Recovery Girl mentioned food being on the way, she didn't think much of it at all. In her head she shortly imagined some sort of frozen meal heated up in the microwave, not something like this that one could find in a five-star restaurant. Her stomach growls loudly, and Recovery Girl openly smiles when she turns around with tinted cheeks.

* * *

In the end, Hotaru ended up staying for a little longer so she could eat. Even she could not say no to a meal like that. She thoroughly enjoyed the food, despite the fact that Recovery Girl was looking at her smugly approximately the whole time she ate. It's almost like the old woman thinks she has power over her. Well, that's not the case. She'll have to fix that in due time.

She's now leaving the main U.A. building with a full stomach. Surprisingly, nobody escorted her out of the building this time and she didn't run into anybody on her way out. It was strange and disappointing. She was secretly hoping she could see All Might again.

Hotaru walks silently down the brick pathway that leads off of school grounds, her hands in her pockets. Her hair is pulled up in a sloppy ponytail, though a few strands have already fallen out. The hairband she's currently using is pretty worn out, but it gets the job done nonetheless. She'll invest in better ones whenever she feels like it.

A blinding glare shines at her eyes when she gets further downhill and she raises her arm to shield them, coming to a stop. She squints and looks straight ahead, her lips parting in awe. Slowly, she lowers her arm and lets it hang at her side. How come she didn't realize a view like this was here from her first visit?

The sun is high in the sky straight ahead, making the city buildings glow as they reflect its light. The large green trees boarding U.A.'s campus sway in the breeze, and her breath is actually taken away at what lies beyond that. In the far horizon is the blue ocean, shimmering and sparkling under the sun. Her eyes follow a flock of birds as they fly overhead.

She turns her attention away from the birds to stare at the water once more. Her lips purse and a crease forms in her brow. Staring at the water makes her want to go back to the place she swore she would never go to again. Letting out a sigh, she tears her eyes away from the ocean and puts her back to it, gazing at the building she just exited.

Honestly, she feels a little sad leaving this place behind. She wishes she could go back in time and try harder in the practical part of the exam, or at least prepare herself beforehand. However, going back in time isn't possible. She learned that a long time ago. _How disappointing._ She tilts her head back and makes a pouting face, inwardly apologizing to her father.

"Aihara-chan!" A loud and familiar voice makes her turn around, drawing her out of her thoughts. She blinks, and her eyebrows raise. Mineta is running towards her with a wide smile, his eyes sparkling while his hands are clasped behind his back. She finds herself comparing him to a pug again.

"Mineta-kun," Hotaru murmurs, frowning slightly. He comes to a stop in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to thank my soulmate." He answers, drooling per usual as he eyes her figure. _How gruesome._ When his eyes get to her face, he does a double take and looks awestruck. "A-Aihara-chan… you're…"

Mineta trails off, breathless suddenly. That, or he's at a loss of words for some unknown reason. His mouth is agape as he stares up at her. Hotaru on the other hand is somewhat in a daze. Shouldn't he be frightened of her?

He should know just who she is after that stunt she pulled. Yet, he's treating her no differently than before. She smiles nonchalantly, tucking some lose strands of hair behind her ear. Is he really that big of a pervert that he doesn't care if she's a villain? In some weird way, that's kind of comforting.

"It was nothing." She says, her tiny smile fading as she gazes at him intently. "You're not scared of me? You know who I am, don't you?"

"My—"

"Not your soulmate." Hotaru cuts him off with a dull expression. Has he not figured out that the electrical shock that travelled between them was caused by her quirk? Mineta whines and looks around wildly as he thinks. An imaginary light bulb appears over his head not even a second later, and his next words make her blanch.

"My sexy antihero."

Skittish sweat trickles down the side of her face as she stares at him in disgust. He's smiling with his odd little mouth, large eyes glistening in passion and cheeks stained red. His hands that he's had hidden behind his back the entire time move out in front of him and into her line of sight, and Hotaru eye's grow wide at the flower he's holding out to her.

"For you." He reveals, licking his lips in anticipation.

Hotaru remains unmoving and Mineta slowly inches closer to her, holding the flower up higher for her to take. She recognizes it as a flower she grew up calling a "sword lily." It's been a while since she last seen one.

"...Come on..." Mineta whispers eagerly to himself and lowly so Hotaru won't hear. "Take it…"

She crouches down, taking the green stem from him that is covered by the long spiral of bloomed flowers. When she straightens up, she rotates it between her fingers. She brings the plant to her nose and sniffs. It doesn't have a strong scent. It's subtle and almost not distinguishable, but it's remedying in its own unique way.

Mineta watches as she takes in the scent of the flower. Her silver orbs soften, the flower reflecting in her eyes. He inhales deeply in success when her lips curve upwards into a genuine smile. The way the sun shines onto her fair skin, how her bright orbs gleam from beneath her long and dark lashes, it makes things clear to him. They have made it to a certain point in their relationship where they can now move forward as man and woman.

She draws the flower back slightly, comparing it's white and faded lavender color to the blooming tree she used to sit under with someone long ago. To her, this is a token of remembrance, and a reminder of who she wants to become. She laughs, bringing her hand over her mouth as she does.

"Mineta-kun," She gets out between her laughter, shaking her head in amusement. He grins and closes in on her, only to stop in his tracks when vivid blue lightning emits from her hand holding the flower. "You really are delusional."

The lightning travels through the flower, the fierce heat from it making the plant wilt in an instant. It turns brown, flames engulfing it next, then finally it turns into black ashes. All of this happens faster than he can blink. The ashes fall between her fingertips and onto the brick pavement below.

Mineta's form that now resembles a horrified pencil sketch drawing gapes at the ashes. Hotaru walking past him makes him turn his attention back over to her. She's looking at him from over her shoulder with a smirk.

"Don't you know?" She says before looking away from him like he's nothing but a piece of trash. "I'm a villain."

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Like Night and Day

❤•○●○•❤

Hotaru walks down the aisle with a placid smile, whispering as she grows closer.

"It's nice to see you again..."

His fingers curl into tight fists when her devious eyes meet his once more. She grins and his teeth grit as his name rolls off her tongue atrociously.

"...Todoroki-san."

* * *

 **A/N: I'm aware I may have (or maybe not) made Recovery Girl a little OOC, being more audacious and all. That was done intentionally on my part so I'm not too worried. But, I'm more concerned about Aizawa! I want him to be in character and feel natural. Did I do okay?**


	6. Like Night and Day

**AugustRrush** : Thank you very much! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **kaycblu** : That really makes me happy, haha! Hopefully I can keep you hooked. ≧◡≦

•

 **Thank you to all my supporters once again !**

 **I hope everyone enjoys this chapter,**

 **and I apologize in advance for any errors!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Like Night and Day

❤•○●○•❤

* * *

The sound of kids laughing and the sight of them running about as they enjoy the last few days of summer break, the warm breeze that makes the shadows from the trees graciously dance, loud cicadas that sing their annoying songs, and the rippling of the pond water as the fish swim about. Hotaru lets out a sigh, tossing some more fish pellets into the water. She guesses some things never change.

She's at the place she swore she would never go to again, _again._ This isn't the first time she's showed up here since that day. Even though she stops by from time to time, she keeps her visits short. She tried to stay away but she really likes the fish here. This place also makes her feel inexplicably calm. It always had that effect on her. She rubs at her dry and drooping eyes, stifling a yawn.

A few days have passed since she woke up in Recovery Girl's nurse's office. Almost a week, she thinks. Keeping track of time is something she doesn't do much. What day it is, the date, sometimes those things are a complete mystery to her. She doesn't find those things unimportant. They are very important. She would love to be able to know these things without looking at her phone for guidance every single time. _However…_ Her eyelids lower, recalling when she came home from being gone for a whole two days.

•

" _Mom…" Hotaru speaks from the doorway, eyeing all the villains in her house with a bland expression. The villains are surrounding her mom who is standing atop the coffee table, all holding lit torches. It's obvious she just interrupted a speech._

" _Hotaru!" Her mom cries out in joy, leaping off the table and embracing her tightly. "Oh, my baby…! My sweet, beautiful, talented, amazing, baby girl! You escaped!"_

" _...Sure." Hotaru rolls her eyes, deciding to just go with that to avoid explaining in fine detail of what actually happened. She returns her mom's embrace, then points at the crowd of shady people that take up the whole living room. "What are they doing here?"_

" _We were about to come save you!" Her mom pulls back and clenches her fists. "When that rat of a Principal called me, he said you had to stay there a little longer to recover…!" Her dark eyes suddenly start glowing a vivid red, warped black aura forming around her. "Recover?! That's when I knew they hurt you! And now they intended to kidnap you?! Those stupid heroes! Always!" She stomps on the ground, her foot going through the wooden floor._

" _Mom." Hotaru starts up._

" _Trying!"_

" _This isn't—"_

" _To!" She stomps for each word she screams. "Take!"_

" _These floors are new—"_

" _You!"_

" _Forget it." Hotaru brings her hand over her face, walking past her raging mother and weaving her way through the many bodies to head to her room. "I'm fine. So, you all can leave."_

" _We ain't leaving empty handed—!" A gruff masked man grips her shoulder tightly, and blue electricity instantly scorches his body consequently. "Argh!"_

 _He falls onto the ground, his eyes rolling backwards and his pupils disappearing into his head. Hotaru stares down at him impassively before her eyes roam over everyone else in the room. They all recoil from her gaze when she outstretches her hand towards them threateningly with a demented expression._

" _As you can see," Hotaru smiles with dark eyes. "I'm not against doing things the hard way."_

 _Everyone scurries out of her house, and her mom appears behind her with beating hearts full of admiration in her eyes._

•

A loud splash brings her out of her thoughts. The unexpected sound makes her jump. _A splash…_ She looks ahead and further down the pond, seeing a kid throwing rocks into the water. It looks like he's trying to skip rocks, but shouldn't he know it's impossible to skip rocks that large? Additionally, this is a koi pond, a decorative pond, a pond not meant for rock skipping. Her eyes widen slightly when he complains to himself. She strains her ears to listen.

"I missed it! Aw!"

Looking closer, she could see his eyes locked onto a large koi, probably the largest koi in this pond. His goal is to hit it? Her lips downturn and she stands, instantly making her way over to the small boy. As she walks, her hands find the pockets of her sleeveless hoodie, finding that more than the tiny pockets of her jean shorts.

She approaches him silently from behind. He doesn't notice her, and she crouches down to grab a small pebble. She takes aim and throws it at the back of his head to make herself known.

"Ow!" The brunette kid complains some more, turning around with glaring eyes. "What was that for?!"

"I just wanted to see how you would like it if someone threw rocks at you." Hotaru answers, tilting her head to the side slightly and sighing. "And man up, I didn't throw the rock at you that hard. But, you should really stop throwing rocks at the fish."

"You're not the park ranger, so I don't have to listen to you." The boy turns around, shooing her away and grabbing another boulder.

"You're right. I'm someone you should be more cautious of. Let me rephrase my words."

The boy looks at her from over his shoulder with a raised brow. He pales instantly. The electricity surrounding Hotaru makes her hair rise and body glow, giving her a ghostly appearance with the dark rings beneath her eyes. Shadows highlight her features and she outstretches her hand towards him, taking slow steps forward.

"You _will_ stop throwing rocks at the fish. If you don't, I'll kill you." She asserts.

He screams, turning on his heels and sprinting away. A very smart decision. Her eyes follow after him, taking note of how his legs almost appear invisible from how fast he's running. She lowers her hand and shakes her head lightly, getting rid of her lightning. Her feet carry her to the pond's edge.

"Jerk." She mutters to herself and runs her fingers through her frizzy hair, finding herself wishing there was a hair product out there that could resist electricity. That's not her biggest concern at the moment though. She needs to make sure the fish is okay.

It really does annoy her how some people think they could hurt fish, any animal really, especially for no reason at all. What could a cute koi do to them? Nothing at all. A yawn bursts from her mouth as she leans forward slightly, examining the fish that kid was targeting. She lets out a relieved breath, seeing it's unharmed.

She gazes at its long and beautifully flowing fins. It's large silver scales sparkle beneath the sun, making it look much more elegant than it already does. Her eyes slowly widen and her lips part. She lowers herself onto her knees, the thin blades of grass tickling her skin. Her body moves so her head is hovering over the water to get a closer look.

"You're…" She murmurs quietly, watching as the koi swims closer to her and beneath her distorted reflection. It's color blends in perfectly with her eyes. _A perfect match._ Slowly, she leans backwards and sweat forms on her temple. Her brow trembles as her vision involuntarily zooms in on the fish, caught in a trance. His voice invades her head and her fingers curl tightly into the grass. _It's almost as if—_

"Taru!" A familiar voice calls out from behind her. She gasps silently and turns around lightning fast, her hair whipping. Her pulse races in her ears. The wind blows more strongly and blades of grass rise. They whirl around a middle-aged man dressed in an olive colored uniform. Ear length cedar brown hair, yellow-gold eyes that resemble honey, an athletic and lean build. He smiles, raising his hand in greeting.

"Daichi." Hotaru greets, her voice holding a slight quiver from the sudden heaviness of her chest. "Hi."

"Sorry," He brings his hand behind his neck sheepishly. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"I wasn't."

"You look so disappointed though—"

"I'll punch you."

"That's what you always say but never do."

Hotaru looks away from him, turning her attention back over to the silver koi that is swimming away. Daichi snickers at the popping vein on the back of her head, and the little agitated puffs of steam rising above her. It truly is like something from a cartoon. He walks closer and comes to a stop beside her.

"I was coming over here to check on the pond, then was stopped by some kid who said some girl threatened to kill him." He stares down at Hotaru, frowning slightly. "You really should stop with the death threats."

"Then you should start doing your job better. I'm sick of playing 'park ranger.'"

"Hey, you do that of your own accord." He shrugs, looking off to the side with a shrewd smile. "Want to play 'aquarist' instead?"

"Aquarist?" Hotaru gazes at him curiously.

"I opened that fish store I've been talking about a few weeks ago," He begins, and she turns to him fully. "I thought you'd like to see it. Or, maybe you could even help me out with it if you wanted. But wait, I just remembered how rude you were to me just now. I'll go find someone else—"

"Sorry." Hotaru clasps her hands together in front of her, and Daichi looks back over at her with a successful grin. "Can I see it?"

"Sure. Go on and grab your things."

Daichi watches with a small smile as Hotaru jogs over to her bag resting beneath the fully-grown wisteria tree. It feels like almost yesterday when he watched her and that young boy spend their days playing and feeding the fish together, but in reality, that was ten years ago. Now that boy no longer comes, and Hotaru only visits on rare occasions and for not nearly as long as she used to.

His smile slowly fades as he remembers how they stopped showing up at this park so suddenly. It wasn't until a couple years later when Hotaru started showing her face here again. The happy-go-lucky girl he remembered her to be has been replaced by someone more cold and ill-tempered, someone with a snarky edge to her voice. The difference really is like night and day.

After Hotaru gathers her things, she finds herself sitting in the passenger seat of Daichi's car. Her elbow is propped up on the armrest of the door, her chin settled in the palm of her hand. She watches the buildings pass by along with the walking people silently, yawning occasionally.

Instead of focusing on what's beyond the window, she shifts her focus to what is being reflected in it. Easily, she can see Daichi glancing her way as he drives. Something has been bothering her since he showed up. She doesn't want to speak up about it, but she does. She breaks the silence that's been hovering in the car since the two of them got in.

"Daichi, did you call me 'Taru' earlier?"

"No." He tilts his head slightly in confusion. "I called you 'Hotaru' as always."

"Oh."

"Have you been sleeping okay?" He asks suddenly. "You look more tired than usual."

"I have a lot on my plate right now." She answers after keeping her lips sealed for a few seconds, leaving it at that and rubbing her eyes.

"Care to talk about it?" He inquires, keeping his tone soft.

"Not really. But," She smiles a bit and he returns the gesture. "Thank you."

Daichi pulls the car off to the side of the road to park. He's in the process of turning the car off when Hotaru opens the door and steps out. He looks over at her and blanches. Realization dawns on him and he begins to scold her.

"You weren't wearing your seat-belt?! It's the law—!"

Hotaru shuts the car door and blocks out his voice. She brings her hands to her hips, sticking her tongue out at him with a smirk. His lips are still moving and releasing words that she can't hear, and his hand gestures just make it even more hilarious to her. He scurries out of the car and tramples on over to her.

"I'm still alive, aren't I?" She shrugs and looks off to the side, stifling a yawn. They are currently in the Shizuoka shopping district. "No big deal."

"It is a big deal! It's a total safety hazard."

"Well, it's not my fault entirely." She holds her index finger up and shifts her weight, a pompous aura radiating from her. "Technically if you were taking a driver's test and I was your instructor, I could've failed you for not checking to see if all passengers were buckled up. Ha, and you call yourself a man of law."

"I specialize in environmental laws, hence my 'park ranger' status."

"But," Hotaru tilts her head slightly, watching as he walks past her and towards the newly refurbished shop they are situated in front of. She follows after him. "Aren't you still essentially a police officer? So, shouldn't you know—?"

"I know enough." He prevents her from speaking any further with a chuckle. "You sound interested in a park ranger's duty. Do you want to be one?"

"No."

"An aquarist? You used to go on and on about being one."

"I wouldn't mind that." She answers quietly, watching as he works to unlock the glass door. "But, I don't see myself doing that."

Hotaru stares at the white painted section of the building they are about to enter. The window and door trims are painted a dark teal that matches the large text above the tiled canopy that reads "Fish," and aligning the whole front of the shop are neatly potted plants.

When Daichi unlocks the door, he looks over to see Hotaru in the middle of yawning. Beads of moisture gather at the outer corner of her eyes, and she wipes those tears of drowsiness away. He frowns at her worn out appearance, but mainly her words.

"You don't?" He inquires, opening the door and causing the door chimes to ring. She looks back over at him. "Having trouble deciding what you want to be?"

 _That's not it_ , Hotaru answers inwardly. She knows what she wants to be. It's something she thought about being her whole life and meeting that person has inspired her initiative to be just that. She has everything carefully planned out, and she will not waver from the path laid out before her.

"Kind of." She lies smoothly from through her teeth, and heads towards the opened door.

"That's natural for people your age. I know it was for me, at least." He laughs lightly. "Try answering this question for starters. Where do you see yourself in the next few years?"

That question makes her pause in the doorway. Her silver eyes stare ahead into the dark room she's about to step into. The sunlight from behind her makes her shadow stretch outwards across the checkered tiled floor, and the air that is contaminated with the smell of fish water floods into her nostrils. Her eyelids lower slightly and she brings her hands into her pockets.

She turns around and faces Daichi, noticing he's looking at her with that concerned expression again. He knows more than he's letting on. That's a hunch she's had for quite a while with him. Either he's trying to outwit her or is choosing to ignore just who she is.

He's never asked anything too personal of her, and he's never shown any signs of being nervous around her, so she can't tell for certain. She never told him anything about her character either. Perhaps she's thinking too hard about it. Maybe even she's suspecting false things. But, that's exactly what someone like her has to do. She has no doubt in her mind he knows she's a villain, and for him to be hanging around her is foolish on his part.

"Dead." Hotaru answers his question solemnly. She watches him with her vacant eyes, noticing how his naturally tanned skin appears a shade lighter suddenly, and how his eyes hold a tremble to them. His mouth is open slightly like he wants to say something. She laughs and waves her hand back and forth through the thick air.

"Stop making that face. I'm kidding." She turns so her back is to him and ventures off into the shadows. "Turn the lights on and show me around."

Daichi's honey eyes follow Hotaru's form until it's swallowed up by the shadows deeper within. His body is stiff and a knot ties in his stomach. He lets out a rickety breath before turning on the lights and following behind her. She says she's kidding but that's not what he sees. He can only pray that the heroes at U.A. show her the right path, and maybe even discover the questions he's been wondering about for a long time.

"...What happened to you?" He whispers inaudibly.

* * *

"To think there's a fish out there that can digest wood… Interesting." Hotaru mutters to herself as she walks down the sidewalk, her finger grazing her chin lightly as she thinks about the enjoyable time she spent at Daichi's fish store.

Anyone would be able to tell that the store is new, due to how clean and nicely decorated it is. There were countless fish tanks full of fish she's never seen or heard of before. She asked far too many questions than she would have liked, but her interest was caught. Her lips pucker in thought. Could she perhaps invest in a fish tank and a few fish?

She comes to a stop in front of her house, and a loud screech emits from it along with the sound of breaking glass. Her hand moves over her face and she sighs, hunching over slightly. _No_ , she most definitely cannot get a fish tank. With how frequently her mom loses her mind and takes her anger out on the house, that would be impossible. She shuts her eyes in exasperation.

Just the tiniest things can set her mom off. For an example, once she caught her driving a knife repeatedly into the television because the cook on there was going too fast for her to keep up with. It completely slipped her mind that should could use the remote to pause and rewind the T.V. It's actually quite a surprise her house is still standing. The sound of shattering glass reaches her ears once more, making her open her eyes.

A frying pan is centimeters away from her face. She yelps, activating her quirk and shocking her own muscles to dodge. A crash breaks out followed by a car's panicked siren, and she turns around, seeing the pan she just dodged now piercing a car. Looking back at her house, she can see a fresh hole in the glass window—the window the frying pan came from.

"Ugh," She groans lightly. With a meager wince from mainly her throbbing headache, she raises her hand in front of her to see tiny blue sparks nibbling at her skin. She remains motionless for a few minutes, drawing in deep and experimental breaths before wiggling her limbs, followed by a relieved breath. She was almost careless again. Her lips downturn into a frown. _Carelessness wouldn't be an issue if—_

"E-Excuse me," A trembling voice annoyingly disrupts her thoughts. She looks to the side, seeing a mail truck pulled off on her side of the road. A quivering young man is looking at her from within, his brown eyes darting around warily like he could get jumped at any second. When she faces him fully, he nearly squeals.

She can't really blame him for being so jumpy. Her eyes take in her surroundings. It's just a typical, generic, rundown, Japanese neighborhood that is oozing with danger. Ivy is growing up the side of almost every house, and the cracks in the road are full of weeds. The setting sun doesn't make it look any better. She makes eye contact with the mailman.

"Yes?" She asks, taking steps closer to him. He holds his hand out in a "stop" gesture, his eyes practically pleading with her to not come any closer. She rubs at her eyes and yawns, complying and not moving another inch.

"I-Is this address…? W-where…? I can't find it!" He's suddenly holding an envelope out to her. "Please help me!"

She leans forward and squints, finding it hard to read the tiny text on the envelope while staying rooted in the same stop. Somehow though, she manages to read it. Her eyes widen. It's her address and her name is on it, _and it's from U.A. High School._

"That's my address." She yawns and holds out her hand. "Can I come closer to get it from you?"

"Yes."

Making sure she keeps her movements slow and her hands in his line of sight to show she won't pull out a weapon of some kind, she takes steps closer to him. He doesn't move closer to her at all, merely keeping his trembling body within the safety of his vehicle. _Does she really look that scary?_

Not even a second after she takes the envelope from him, he slams on the gas pedal and takes off down the street. A gust of air rushes at her from the speedy take off and she blinks in surprise, turning her head to see that he's already long gone. Her lips curve upwards and she laughs slightly, but that short laugh stops when she looks at the envelope in her hands.

"U.A…" She whispers to herself. Getting mail from them is something she didn't expect. She has not the slightest clue of the reasoning behind this. Now that she thinks about it though, could it be a letter to inform her that she didn't pass the entrance exam? Nobody mentioned a word to her about whether she passed or failed. It's too obvious that they don't need to tell her a thing, or so she assumed.

Her fingers curl tightly into the folded paper and make it wrinkle. The organ in her chest is pounding more harshly than normal. She's scared to open it, scared to get the confirmation that she failed. She's been holding off on telling her parents about her failure because she doesn't want them to be disappointed in her. More importantly, she doesn't want them to find out about her heroic act, or the fact that she went against her dad's word and revealed two of her super moves to perform that act. Her mom, _her dad,_ they were counting on her. Keeping these things to herself is something she can't do for much longer. _They'll find out._

She takes a single step towards her house only to make herself come to a stop. Opening this letter inside her home is something she decides instantly that she doesn't want to do. She starts to tear it open where she stands but even that makes her uncomfortable. For now, she puts the letter in her pocket and turns, walking down the street and in the direction she came. She needs to open this in a private place, this being something she wants to do alone. _Something she must do alone._

As she walks, her teeth gnaw on the inside of her cheek. She doesn't recall ever feeling this anxious before. Sweat is coating her palms and her fingers are quivering. It's crazy. What's even more crazy is that she feels weak in the knees which results in a slight wobble in her step.

"Calm down… Hotaru…" She whispers breathlessly to herself, laughing nervously and brushing her hair back. "...It's nothing you don't already know."

When she reaches her destination, the sun has long set. Stars are plastered across the sky and are twinkling, and the crescent moon shines brightly. Crickets chirp and she hears on owl hoot. The air has grown a few degrees cooler to her appreciation. She's always been more fond of colder weather.

Her feet carry her through the grass, and as she grows closer to her desired spot to sit, she hears the sound of water. She's at park for the second time today, only this time she's the only one present in it.

She presses her back against the trunk of the wisteria tree and shrugs her bag off of her shoulder. Her body slowly slides down the tree until she's sitting on the ground. Unzipping her bag, she pulls out her phone. The picture of her and All Might instantly greet her when she powers it on. After staring at the picture for a short moment, she turns on the flashlight built into her phone and takes out the envelope.

Drawing in a breath, she tears open the envelope and grows confused when she doesn't see any paper inside for her to read. However, she does see a tiny metal disk. Her head tilts slightly and she pulls it out, crumbling up the envelope and sticking it in her pocket for now. She'll throw that away later.

She leans forward and rotates the metal object between her fingers, crossing her legs as she does. What is this thing? She shines her flashlight on it to study it thoroughly with furrowed brows. A small button catches her attention and she sets her phone aside to press it. It starts glowing, then she drops it in surprise when an iconic laugh sounds from it. Her jaw drops when a projection of All Might appears.

"I am here as a projection!" All Might's voice laughs out, his face being the only thing she can see.

"A-All Might?" Hotaru stutters out in surprise, not expecting to see him at all. He laughs yet again but more loudly. His whole body is now in view and he starts to flex his muscles, all while he continues to laugh. Skittish sweat drips down her temple, and she squints at the brightness of his form.

"Are you surprised to see me, Young Aihara?" He asks, straightening out and bringing his hands to his hips. He waves at her inhumanly fast. "Hello!"

Hotaru remains unmoving and continues to watch this astonishing video content. Thirty seconds go by and he's still waving with his blinding smile. Hotaru's cheeks suddenly warm up. Is this not a video? This is happening currently? As in they are video chatting? She straightens her posture and waves in return.

"Sorry." Hotaru begins. "I thought this was a pre-recorded—"

"Are you waving back? I hope so! I can't tell because this is pre-recorded content! Haha!"

"...Did you intend to trick me on purpose?" She grumbles to herself, closing her eyes briefly in annoyance. That was definitely planned out.

"Yes! I did intend to trick you!"

"I don't understand what's happening." She massages her temples with her fingers, having a hard time believing that this is actually a pre-recorded video.

"These small devices can only hold so much data, so let's get straight down to business." He speaks again, only this time more seriously. Hotaru leans forward in anticipation, her lips pressed together firmly. "You're already aware that you passed the written exam, but as for the practical exam, you failed..."

Her heart drops heavily and her head ducks. So, it's true then. _She really did fail._ Her eyelids clamp together tightly. Hearing that from him just makes it even more real. The path that was laid out before her just crumbles away. Now what is she supposed to do? Her carefully thought out plan… _everything ends now._ She shakes her head. _No_.

She won't let things end like this. This is something she can't afford to fail. _A remedial course._ There has to be one, right? She's fully prepared to get down on her hands and knees to beg these heroes for a second chance. If she doesn't get into this school, there's no way she can face her parents.

"...If it were only graded on the villain points." All Might's voice jolts her out of her thoughts. She moves onto her hands and knees swiftly, gazing up at his holographic form.

"What?" She breathes.

"Look at this video!" He aims the remote in his hand that she only now just noticed at a screen behind him, and her eyes enlarge, seeing it's a replay of her saving Mineta. She watches it silently, witnessing how her form moved as quick a flash of lightning to get by his side. "Young Aihara. Your body moved on its own, didn't it?"

"...Yes." She whispers even though he can't hear her.

"Top heroes have stories about them from their school days. Do you know what they mostly have in common?" He asks, and she slowly shakes her head. "Their bodies moved on their own—before they even had the chance to comprehend what they were doing. Young Aihara, you scored sixteen villain points," As he continues, Hotaru's eyes gradually widen. "And sixty rescue points. Bringing you to a grand total of seventy-six points. You passed the entrance exam. Congratulations, Young Aihara," He holds out his hand, and if this was really him standing in front of her, surely she would grab onto it. "This is your hero academia."

The projection disappears in a flash, and Hotaru sits on the ground motionlessly. She gasps, realizing she forgot to breathe as he was speaking his last words. Her hands move over her chest, trying to calm down her heart that feels like it's going to burst from her rib-cage.

"I passed…" She says to herself breathlessly, letting her body fall over and onto its side. Her lips curve upwards into a smile. "I… passed."

Sixteen villain points? Wow, her counting was way off then. _But, sixty rescue points?_ She's suddenly very relieved she decided to open this letter by herself. If her parents witnessed her saving Mineta and let alone found out she passed from rescue points which may as well be _hero_ points, oh man, they would probably kill her. All that matters though is that she passed. Now all the pieces are coming together.

She reaches outwards and grabs the metal disc, pressing the button on it and playing the pre-recorded video again. _Again, and again and again._ Her body feels so light as she watches All Might repeatedly tell her the good news. The more she watches it, the happier she feels. When was the last time she felt this happy? Her eyes shut. _Oh, yeah._

"Shoroki~" She sings silently to herself.

* * *

"Hello, I am Iida Tenya from Soumei—"

"Oh, yeah. Haha… I overheard. Uhh, I'm Midoriya. N-nice to meet you, Iida-kun…"

"Midoriya, I must hand it to you. You divined the actual nature of the practical skills exam, didn't you? I was… completely blind to it!" Iida moves his hands in robot-like motions, his features twisting in utmost agony at his next words. His glasses gleam brightly and shield his blue eyes that shine with failure. "And I completely misread you! I hate to admit it, but you were the better man!"

"Ah, it's you! Curly-hair plain looking kid!" A brunette girl appears and grins at Midoriya. "I'm glad I found you!"

Shoto Todoroki turns his attention away from his classmates who are greeting each other in the doorway. He's not so interested in his classmates or making friends. He brings his elbow up onto his desk and rests his head against his balled-up fist, gazing out the window absentmindedly.

It's his first official day at U.A High School, and it's also his first official day of showing his old man he can thrive in this school without using his left side. His eyes gradually narrow at just the thought of him, but his thoughts are interrupted when something lands on the window. It's a cicada.

He stares at the bug as it begins creating a high-pitched and loud sound. Its wings vibrate and flutter, the breeze outside not making it budge at all. The fingers of his balled-up fist straighten out and cover his mouth as he smiles. A memory from long ago is starting to make its way to the surface. However, the person that memory occurred with makes his smile fade.

"Todoroki-san, right?" A nearby voice catches a hold of his attention. A somewhat tall girl is standing in front of his desk. She has long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and the shape of her onyx eyes almost remind him of a cat. She smiles, and he lowers his hand from his face. "I've heard you were the only one in class 1-A other than myself to get in through recommendations."

"Yeah." Shoto answers, his tone aloof.

"I'm Momo Yaoyorozu. This desk right here isn't occupied already, is it?"

"No." Shoto answers, watching as the girl claims the desk next to his as her own. He looks past her and at the window again, taking note that the cicada is gone. The next series of events makes him look towards the door.

"If you're gonna be hunting for buddies do it elsewhere. This is the department," A new voice makes itself known, then a slurping noise echoes. "Of heroics!"

His whole class goes into a panicked and baffled frenzy. Shoto can't deny that even he is surprised at the figure enclosed in a sleeping bag on the floor. The figure stands and steps out of the sleeping bag to reveal a worn-out looking man. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark bag beneath his eyes, even a dark attire. He steps into the classroom, dragging his sleeping bag behind him. Everyone watches in a stunned silence.

"Hm, it took you lot eight seconds to quiet down." The man speaks. "Time is limited. You kids are not rational enough. Take your seats."

At those words, everyone scrambles to their seats. Everyone's eyes follow the man as he walks further into the room, muttering things about whether he is a teacher or not. Shoto merely sits silently. The man comes to a stop behind the podium in the front of the classroom and reaches inside his sleeping bag.

"I'm your homeroom teacher, Shouta Aizawa. Pleasure meeting you. It's kinda sudden," He pulls a P.E. uniform out of his sleeping bag and holds it up. "But put this on and head out to the field." He then looks towards the door. "What is it?"

Shoto can't see from his position who's lingering in the hallway. Whoever it is though is capable of waving Aizawa over to the door. He can only hear the sound of hushed voices. A minute or two later, he hears Aizawa sigh. Aizawa steps back into the classroom but not by himself. A girl is trailing after him.

"Hey, are those two related?" Someone whispers. Shoto looks over to see it was a boy with spiky red hair who spoke.

"Kero. It looks like it, doesn't it?" A frog-like girl brings her finger to her chin.

"Well they do give off the same 'lazy' vibe." A boy with a rather plain looking face laughs sheepishly.

Shoto studies the newcomer for himself. Her hair is shoulder length and a combination of waves along with curls, giving it a naturally messy appearance. It's a dark brown, the color resembling a dark chocolate fudge cake, or even rich fields of soil after an intense thunderstorm. Her uniform tie is undone and just hanging from her neck like a scarf, and the buttons of her gray blazer are undone to match. She looks over to view the class, and Shoto's eyes widen.

She has full and angular eyes, though, they are drooping and bloodshot, additionally having dark rings beneath them. Their color… _is silver._ They roam over the class nonchalantly, seeming disinterested. Just as she begins to look away, her eyes involuntarily lock with Shoto's.

Her irises shrink at the sight of him, her jaw slacking just enough to cause her lips to part. Shoto's body tenses. He recognizes her immediately. No way in the world could he forget this person. If it wasn't for his father's existence, she would be the one he hates the most in the world.

 _Hotaru Aihara._

Aizawa says something to Hotaru and she nods, all while keeping her eyes locked onto Shoto's. She begins taking steps in his direction, walking down the aisle of desks with a placid smile, tearing her eyes away from him to look off to the side and at nothing in particular. She whispers as she grows closer to him.

"It's nice to see you again…" She begins when she's beside his desk.

His fingers curl into tight fists when her devious eyes meet his once more. Time slows down as a result. She grins and his teeth grit as his name rolls off her tongue atrociously.

"...Todoroki-san."

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Quirk Apprehension

❤•○●○•❤

"Aihara and Todoroki," Aizawa points at the now free sponge-pad. "You both are partnered up over here for your sit up test."

Hotaru and Shoto make eye contact from across the room. Outwardly they both are indifferent, but inwardly they are both displeased. _As if things couldn't get any worse._ Hotaru raises her hand.

"Can I use the bath—?"

"No."


	7. Quirk Apprehension

**AugustRrush:** ❤❤❤

 **Alan975:** I'm happy you do! ❤

 **bbymojo:** Haha, thank you so much! ❤ I'm glad I'm making good use of Mineta, I found that he has quite a lot of potential in the plot I have planned out. He's such a pervert, but I find him hilarious too! There will be lots more of him and Hotaru, for sureee !

•

 **Once again, thank you to everyone who reads, reviews, etc!**

 **It means a whole lot, and I'm happy to be able to share my writing with you all.** ❤

 **I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and I apologize if there are any errors! (I'm a terrible proof reader)**

 **Thank you for reading!** (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Quirk Apprehension

❤•○●○•❤

* * *

"Late on the first day," Midnight looks over her shoulder and at Hotaru, frowning in disapproval. "Not to mention you look like you just rolled out of bed. You're soiling your youth."

Hotaru merely stares at the Pro Hero as she trails behind, bringing her hand over her mouth as she yawns. To think her appearance would upset someone so much is almost unbelievable. Does it even matter what she looks like? She's Hotaru Aihara regardless of her looks.

"Sorry." Hotaru apologizes nonchalantly, breaking eye contact and looking off to the side. She gazes out the window as they continue down the hallway of one of the upper floors.

Youth isn't as great as she's making it out to be, but she won't say that out-loud. At least, she won't say it at this very moment. She's far too tired right now and she has to remain vigilant. Now that she miraculously got into this school, for the time being she must act like a good and honest student for her plan to come to life. Already, she's failing in doing just that.

She's late on her first day. Not only that, she didn't receive her class schedule or better yet a map of this enormous school. Since she didn't receive a schedule in the mail, she thought maybe she would retrieve it upon entering the school. That of course did not happen.

Naturally since she didn't have the slightest clue where to go or where her classroom was, she decided it would be best to go to Nezu's office for guidance, which happens to be the only place she knows how to get to aside from Recovery Girl's nurse's office.

The cute little—no. The principal gladly helped her, being way too thrilled at her presence. She found out from him that the schedules were mailed out, but strangely she never got anything else in the mail from U.A. aside from the news that she had passed the entrance exam.

The two of them didn't ponder over it for long since she was already running late. He printed her out a new schedule, warned her that her homeroom teacher Aizawa doesn't tolerate tardiness, and sent her on her way with Midnight acting as her escort. She smiles slightly, clasping her hands together behind her back.

So, Aizawa is her homeroom teacher. She's actually quite elated about that. To her, he's the most tolerable hero at this school. Although she definitely likes All Might, he's not very tolerable. He's too… encouraging. _And that is very troubling_. The same thing can be said about Nezu. These heroes are too unrealistic. They should be more cautious.

She begins chewing on the inside of her cheek suddenly, recalling what Aizawa said to her a few days ago. Even now, she's unsure of what the true meaning behind those words are. Perhaps today she can pry him for an answer if she can catch him alone.

Midnight comes to a stop and Hotaru just barely stops herself from walking right into her back. With pursed lips, she leans to peer around the taller woman. Her drooping eyes widen at the doorway they are in front of.

The wooden door is open and revealing the interior of the classroom, but Hotaru doesn't pay no mind to the people within just yet. She's much too busy gaping at the door. It has to be at least five times taller than she is. Her form scarcely reaches the halfway point of the giant letter "A" adorning it. _Class 1-A._

Midnight waves her hand to someone within the room, making Hotaru tear her eyes away from the door and at the approaching figure. She recognizes Aizawa easily. Her lips curve upwards a bit. It seems they have something in common—always looking unkempt no matter the day or occasion. His dark eyes look her way before gazing at Midnight.

"My class is full." He affirms, needing zero explanation as to why she's here. Hotaru clasps her hands together behind her back once again, her eyelids lowering as she smirks to herself. He was very quick to reject her. How wise.

"Nezu's putting her with you regardless. His mind is made up." Midnight explains, looking over at Hotaru who is now gazing blankly at Aizawa. "He said if the odd numbering of students complicates things too much, he'll make some adjustments."

Hotaru then catches Midnight and Aizawa having a silent conversation with their eyes. Even though no words are being spoken, it's evident what they are thinking. She can guarantee it's something along the lines of, "What is Nezu up to?" or, "What is a villain here for?" She would like to know the answer to the first question herself. Aizawa lets out a displeased sigh.

"I'll make adjustments by expelling her." He states, making Hotaru stiffen when he looks her way. "Don't give me any trouble."

"Yes, Aizawa-san—" She starts only for him to cut her off.

"'Sensei.'" He corrects her, turning and venturing back into the classroom while waving his hand at her. It's a clear gesture that says, "follow me."

Hotaru trails behind him with a tiny frown, bowing slightly to Midnight in a parting way. Just the other day he claimed he didn't care what she chose to call him. She supposes since she's now officially a student, and he's now officially her teacher, things are different. Not that it matters what she has to call him. He's still the same person regardless, _and his claim to expel her has shaken her either way._

Being expelled is something she cannot afford to have happen. If things come to that, everything she has planned out will truly be ruined beyond repair. She was already aware that she had to be extra careful, but now she has to be more than that. She can't be just a good student anymore, she now has to be the shining example of a hero in training. Things have just gotten so much harder. _How very disappointing._

She steps into the classroom after Aizawa, instantly feeling multiple eyes drilling into her. As she walks, she looks over everyone in the room. A few of her classmates are quite interesting in terms of their appearance, but ultimately uninteresting as a whole.

Her eyes catch sight of Mineta and she inwardly sighs. He's staring at her with red cheeks, drooling and trembling. However, she can't tell if he's quivering in fear or excitement. That boy is quite the character. Even after she put a good scare in him, he still looks at her in such a way. She starts to advert her eyes until they involuntarily lock with a set of eyes in the very back of the room, _eyes possessing heterochromia iridium._

Instantly, she draws in a sharp breath and the organ in her chest accelerates. Her body ices over and goosebumps sprout to life across her skin. Those eyes are a sight she could never forget, _the sight of him is something she could never forget_.

He looks exactly the same as she remembered him to be. The only differences she notices is that his features have grown more masculine and angular. His build has grown more masculine as well, and his eyes are severely cold now. But, those things aren't what she notices first. Nothing stands out more to her than the large scar on the left side of his face. _It's a burn scar._ Her pulse thuds loudly in her ears a single time.

"Put your stuff in the back." Aizawa's voice brings her out of her small trance. All she can manage to respond is a single nod, her eyes not once breaking away from the set glaring at her. She starts taking steps down the aisle of desks and closer to him, _Shoto Todoroki._

She didn't think she would see her old friend again. Seeing him here of all places shouldn't be a surprise to her, but she's completely astonished. A smile forms on her face. It's obvious he's still set on being a hero, and that's great to know. _Is he still set on being the "greatest hero in the world?"_ Nevertheless, him being here has just made her already complicated situation even more so.

Looking off to the side, her smile grows in size. _Oh well._ She won't waver from the path laid out before. The plan she carefully crafted will be achieved no matter what obstacles come soaring her way. She looks back at Shoto, seeing he's still glaring at her. _Ah, he really hates her, doesn't he?_ While she's here and playing "hero," she may as well have some fun.

"It's nice to see you again," She begins once she's beside his desk. A shadow is cast over his face and his fingers curl into tight fists. _How frightening._ For an aspiring hero, he currently resembles a villain. Her eyes meet his once more and she grins, whispering as she passes by him. "Todoroki-san."

He doesn't respond to her greeting which makes her laugh lightly in amusement. As soon as she reaches the back of the room, the sliding of chairs resonates when everyone starts to stand and move to the front of the room. Aizawa had just given directions, but she was too occupied in her little reunion to catch what he said.

She sets her bag on the floor instead of in one of the small teal lockers in the back of the room. All of the lockers have already been claimed and looking around some more she can also see the same can be said about all of the desks. Her silver orbs narrow in thought. Not at the fact she is lacking a desk or locker, but at something else.

Turning, she watches as Shoto grabs one of the blue uniforms Aizawa is handing out. As soon as he grabs onto the fabric, he exits the classroom like everyone else. Her arms fold over her chest and she stays rooted in the same spot for a moment longer, even though she knows she's now the only student still in the room. Her silver orbs darken.

"Are you plotting already, villain?" Aizawa speaks, dragging her from her impending thoughts.

She blinks and looks over at him, seeing he's standing impatiently and holding out one last uniform. She shrugs lightly and strolls over to him. As much as she wants to give him a snarky response, she replies honestly. Him claiming to expel her is still fresh in her mind.

"I was just wondering about something." She answers, taking the uniform from him carefully.

"About?" He pries easily, eyes narrowed as he stares her down.

It's obvious he's not going to let his guard down around her anytime soon. Actually, he probably never will. Once again, she praises him inside her head for being so wary. At his question however, her fingers lightly trace over the left side of her face.

"I'm wondering if I would be seeing what I'm seeing now," She looks towards the door. "If I had just kept my mouth shut."

* * *

She's so stupid. Just moments earlier she had Aizawa alone, but it completely slipped her mind to question him about what he meant by his words the other day. Regrettably, her mind was elsewhere and contemplating about other things. _Those things revolve around Shoto Todoroki._ His presence here isn't good at all.

Currently, she's standing outside with her classmates and on what appears to be a pitching field. She had changed into the blue athletic clothes like everyone else. Her eyes bore into the back of Shoto's head. He's in her line of sight from her position in the very back. When she says the very back, she's referring to how she's positioned a good ten feet away from the small crowd.

With an inaudible sigh, she folds her arms over her chest and starts to look towards the ground. Before she can stare at the dirt below her, her eyes lock with Mineta's. He's trembling intensely, resembling a phone receiving a call while on the vibrate setting. Drool seeps from his lips and his small form flutters into the depths of the bodies of her classmates.

His actions prompt her to smirk nonchalantly. That was actually very amusing. It's now evident that he _is_ scared of her, but despite that his perverted nature hasn't changed a bit. He's interesting to say the least.

A couple of her classmates look back curiously at Mineta's odd retreat, those people being a blonde boy with a dark lightning bolt in his hair, and a girl with a spiky black ponytail. Hotaru's smirk only fades when Shoto looks back at her with his menacing eyes. She impassively holds his dark gaze and tilts her head with a provoking smile. He turns back around with a quiet "tsk." Aizawa starts to speak, making her attention turn over to him.

She finds herself zoning in and out as he explains what their current objective is. Her fingers lightly tap against her biceps, and her eyelids start to lower as they become far too heavy. She yawns right when her eyes shut. Falling asleep while standing would definitely be a first. She seems to be able to pull it off until a loud explosion makes her jump, along with an equally loud voice yelling, "die."

A boy with ash blonde hair has just got done throwing a baseball with the help of his quirk. His quirk seems revolve around explosions, but what his quirk is doesn't matter. Either way, she would still be staring after the soaring ball with widened eyes like she is now.

She finds herself taking tiny steps closer, wondering just how far that ball has been thrown. Her thoughts are answered when Aizawa holds up a device that displays the distance the ball has traveled. _705.2 meters._ Her lips part in awe. For him to be able to throw a ball that far is very prodigious. She holds her hand up in front of her, staring at it intently.

There's no way in the world she could throw a ball that far, she has no doubt in her mind about that. However, with the assistance of her quirk, could she measure up the that? She curls her fingers and looks to the sky in thought. _Not at all._ While she comes to that conclusion, her classmates start gushing and going on about how fun doing that looks.

"'It looks fun,' huh?" Aizawa quotes quietly, making everyone including her look at him curiously. "You have three years to become a hero. Will you have an attitude like that the whole time?"

Nobody answers, and Aizawa suddenly sneers. A shadow is cast over his face and sweat trickles down the side of Hotaru's own. _What's this?_ That's a look similar to the one he gave her when she teased him about sitting by her bedside.

"All right. Whoever comes in last place in all eight tests will be judged to have no potential and will be punished with expulsion." He sets forth.

"Huh?!" Nearly everyone drags out in horror.

Hotaru's eyes narrow and she brings her finger to her chin in serious thought, zoning out again. This marks the second expulsion threat she's been given today, which is not good. _Not good at all._ Her hand rubs against her head, ruffling up her hair in frustration. Just how much more difficult and complicated are things going to get? The universe is trying to ruin her plan. She sucks in a forceful breath to calm herself.

 _Relax_ , she urges herself. All she needs to do is pretend to be an aspiring hero and act like an exemplary student. Things will run along smoothly if she does that. It'll be easy. She's merely just thinking too hard about things. She'll pass these tests easily, and with Shoto being here she now has the perfect rival outshine. Once again, this will be another easy "A." Well, _only as long as these aren't physical tests_.

Stamina and strength are things that she lacks undoubtedly. Speed is something she excels in, but maintaining that speed is definitely a struggle. In terms of written tests, if it's not math, she has nothing to worry about. Alright, then. _It's time to get this over with._

She steps forward and moves to the front of the crowd, bringing her hand to her hip and shifting her weight. Her eyes meet Aizawa's and she smiles in anticipation.

"So, what are these tests, exactly?"

* * *

Fifty-Meter Dash

She's even more stupid than she originally thought. Why on earth would she even consider for a second that these tests wouldn't be physical ones? _Aizawa made that explosion boy throw a baseball._ It should've been obvious the tests would be something along those lines. _It was obvious_. She just didn't want to believe it. This is not good.

 _Not good. Not good. Not good._

Her lips press together firmly as her narrowed eyes watch the two figures getting ready for the fifty-meter dash. One is a girl who resembles a tree frog, and the other she instantly recognizes as that guy who called her out for yawning at the entrance exam, as well as that curly haired boy for muttering.

The robot standing at the sidelines of the dashing area start speaking in its high-pitched robotic voice, waving its arms around. The camera which serves as its eyes starts blinking red.

"On your mark… get set… go!"

Hotaru gasps silently and she feels herself be hit by a gust of wind from the boy's take off. Even from her far off position, it still reached her. The engines in his calves are releasing steam from their use. Before she can even blink he crosses the finish line.

"3.04 seconds." The robot records aloud and Hotaru's fingers tremble. From the looks of it, he doesn't seem to be suffering from any kind of aftermath or recoil from traveling at such a high speed. He's incredibly fast and doesn't have any consequences to go with it. She finds herself in awe once more. Not just from him, but all of her classmates. As she studies them and takes note of their quirks, she also learns their names as they are called upon.

All of their quirks are very different, but they use them in such unique ways. Some people don't reveal their quirks due to the fact they are unable to use them in this test. However, Bakugo, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Iida, and _Shoto_. She deems those people her biggest obstacles. It's going to be difficult to outshine them all, that's for sure. She's going to have to go beyond… _plus ultra._

She watches as Shoto uses his left hand to melt the ice he used for his fifty-meter dash. This is the first time she's seeing him use his left side. Well, not that it's so surprising. Their past friendship was very short lived, after all.

However, back then she thought he only was able to make ice, but that thought is proven wrong right here and now. He has the power of ice and fire. Considering that his father is that fool Endeavor, it makes perfect sense. His mother was able to control ice. Shoto's mother... was very kind. How is she faring these days?

"Aihara." Aizawa's voice drags her out of her thoughts. She looks over at her teacher, seeing him staring at her with his tired eyes. "Your turn. Hurry up."

"Yes, Sensei." She nods and begins to walk over to the start line. Everyone else had already went, so there is no one to race against her. She detests that. Easily she can feel all eyes on her.

When she comes to a stop in front of the start line, she lets out a heavy breath. She's actually feeling a little nervous right now, and that's disappointing. But, it's only natural. She has to do good or she'll get expelled.

Drawing in a deep breath, she crouches and brings her fingertips against the rough ground, her feet pressing against the metal starting blocks. _A conductor._ Something this small won't assist her much though. It's actually best not for her to even rely on or use it. She'll have to use her own body.

"On your mark…" The robot starts up and her eyes shut. This test will most likely be the only one she can produce an amazing result in. The distance she has to cover isn't that much, so she there's no need to worry about running out of energy. All she needs to worry about is handling her lightning carefully, but that shouldn't be a problem either. She's focused and ready this time.

This won't be hard at all. Her body won't be moving on its own this time. All she needs to do is imagine the glass of water not spilling over. She actually prefers to say, "keep the fish in the water," which she formed herself from the saying, "fish out of water." She thought it was pretty clever, but her father totally shot that down.

Speaking of her father, _she's going against his wishes again_. These techniques of hers were supposed to remain a secret. However, since they are no longer a secret among the Pro Heroes, she doesn't see any reason for her to continue to hide these things. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Get set…"

Hotaru's eyelids raise, revealing her now vivid cyan eyes. Sparks decorate her skin and her body tenses in anticipation. A faint blue glow shines around her form and tiny blue sparks glimmer. She smiles lightly, finding the tingling sensation nice for once. To be able to use her quirk in the open without any worries puts her mind at ease.

"Go!"

As soon as that single word echoes, Hotaru moves. Lightning generates in her body, spreading through her limbs and muscles, stimulating them. She pushes forward swiftly and the warm air rushes at her face. As soon as she takes that first step, thunder rumbles lowly, and when she crosses the finish line, her lightning fades.

She straightens up with a content sigh, bringing one hand into her pocket and her other over her mouth when she yawns. Turning her body, she faces Aizawa who's gazing at her indifferently as usual. They stare at each other silently until the robot speaks her time.

"2.48 seconds."

That time isn't too awful. Actually, she's very satisfied with it. She believes nobody else has scored a time quicker than that, so she'll accept that gladly. She starts to venture back to her previous spot way off to the side until her eyes catch sight of everyone's stunned faces. _Oh, right._ The cat's out of the bag now.

"Whoa… hey…!" Kaminari begins with wide eyes, skittish sweat rolling down his face. "That quirk…! That's—!"

"Lightning Beast." Aoyama finishes for him, pointing at her with his index finger as sparkles form around him.

"Isn't this supposed to be a hero course?!" Sero exclaims, shrinking back a little dramatically. Hotaru blinks before clasping her hands behind her back.

"I'm Hotaru Aihara. It's nice to meet you. Just like you," She introduces herself, bowing in greeting. Her eyes lock with Shoto's stunned ones. _Oh yes, he believed her to be quirkless._ She smiles and holds up her pinky finger. Her next words earn her a glare. "I'm aiming to be the best hero in the world."

"She's a student just like the rest of you. Fearing her isn't necessary." Aizawa suddenly steps in front of her, making her raise a brow. His words calm everyone only slightly. "But, if she does anything shady, report it to me. Now, on to the next test."

Everyone sweat-drops at his words, watching as Aizawa starts walking towards a nearby gymnasium building.

"That's supposed to make us feel better?" Ashido and Kirishima mutter, looking after Hotaru when she follows after Aizawa with a lazy smile.

Grip Strength

Shoto stands across from Hotaru, gazing at her with slightly narrowed eyes. They were put in the same group to perform their grip strength test. Why is she here of all places? It's obvious she's plotting something. After past events, it's undeniable.

Hotaru's standing next to Kaminari, staring at the grip dynamometer in his hand with pursed lips. The blonde squeezes the device as tight as possible until it lets out a beep. She leans a bit closer to see what it reads. _60.0 kilograms._ Is that good? She knows nothing about these things.

"Hey! This is better than my score in junior high!" He cheers to himself, making her blink. Perhaps that is a good score. Kaminari looks her way and holds the device out to her with a hesitant smile, speaking in a forcefully kind tone to cover his nervousness. "Here you go."

"Thank you." She takes the device from him.

Her fingers brush against his unintentionally, and they both feel a shock. Blinking, they both stare at each other. Her head tilts slightly and her brows furrow. Kaminari looks... _thunderstruck_.

"Your quirk…" Hotaru begins curiously. "Is it related to electricity?"

"Why do you ask?" He smiles a bit flirtatiously. "Were your beautiful sparks attracted to mine?"

At that, Hotaru's cheeks turn a striking and vivid pink. Her eyes advert to the ground. She's comparing him to Mineta. Though, he's much more cunning than he is when it comes to flirting.

"Well… no. It's just..." She stutters slightly, trailing off pathetically. "No…"

"Be careful… Kaminari…" Mineta suddenly appears behind him, some kind of warped purple haze rolling off of him. "Her sparks are already attracted to me…"

"Mineta-kun," Hotaru begins with a lazy smirk, facing him. "You should know that's not true."

"You can't deny it, Aihara-chan!" He jabs a finger at her, trembling fiercely as he pales. "Admit it. You've been in denial this whole time!"

How can someone be attracted to her yet utterly frightened by her at the same time? His words reply in her head and she sighs lightly. This boy isn't just delusional, _he's beyond that._ She finds herself smiling genuinely. Once again, she finds herself comforted by his delusional nature.

"Dude, 'Aihara-chan?'" Kaminari gapes at the honorific Mineta uses for her. He looks her way, silently asking if she's cool with that.

"It doesn't bother me." Hotaru shakes her head lightly, yawning. "You can call me whatever you want."

"Sweet! Can I call you 'Taru-chan,' then?"

Finding herself experiencing a moment of déja vu, her eyes widen. She shouldn't have said what she did. When it comes to people using "Taru" to address her, she's somewhat sensitive. However, in this situation she allows it. She doesn't want to display any weaknesses mentally or physically, _especially in front of him._

"If you want." She says, her silver orbs locking with Shoto's. His eyes are rock-like as he stares right back at her. He hasn't said a single word to her yet. "As I said, it doesn't bother me."

"I'll never forgive you for this, Kaminari—!" Mineta begins, only to be cut off by someone else. Everyone looks in the direction the voice came.

"Hurry up."

Hotaru's lips part slightly at Shoto's voice. Just like the rest of him, his voice has matured as well. Her lips curve upwards at the sharp edge to his tone. Things really are like night and day compared to back then. It's amusing. Although, how he spoke to her in such an assertive way isn't amusing in the slightest. It irks her.

"Calm down, Todoroki-san." She begins coolly, purposely hitting a sore spot. "You're starting to look like your old man."

"Just like you're starting to look like yours." He counters icily.

A chord deep within her is struck, and her jaw tightens almost painfully. Her eyes narrow into a piercing glare and the air suddenly feels very thick. Bitter tension hovers between them, making Kaminari and Mineta look between the two uneasily. Hotaru has to fight to keep her quirk at bay, and as a result static tickles her flesh.

"But unlike you, I don't mind it. Not many can look up to their parents as role models, and you are one of those unfortunate people." She whispers without remorse, and Shoto's fingers curl tightly as his teeth bare.

Angry sparks pass between their eyes. If it wasn't for spotting Aizawa intently staring at her out of the corner of her eye, she would've said so much more. She's slipping, and she needs to calm down before she gets herself expelled right here and now.

She directs all of her anger into her hand, squeezing the grip dynamometer as tightly as she can. Her anger adds to her strength, fueling her muscles. When the device lets out a beep she tears her eyes away from Shoto and looks down to view her results.

Not even a second after the results appear, she promptly tosses the device to Shoto and walks off with red cheeks. Shoto glares after her before looking down at the grip dynamometer that still displays her result. His glare falters instantly and his eyes widen slightly in disbelief. Although she's much different now, one thing remains the same. _She's still extremely..._

Hotaru approaches Aizawa, coming to a stop directly in front of him. He peers down at her, brows gradually raising when she informs him of her score.

" _I'm weak_ , okay?" She grumbles. "Always have been and always will be."

"12 kilograms?" He repeats her score aloud.

"It can't be as bad as you're making it out to be." She waves it off and looks back up at him. The flat expression he wears makes her bring her hands in front of her desperately. "It's not _that_ bad, right?"

"Try again." He pulls out another grip dynamometer, making her blanch.

She gapes at him. _N-No way._ Is she seriously so weak that he's taking pity on her and allowing her to try once more? She takes it from him slowly and squeezes tightly, _receiving a final score of 12.5 kilograms_ , along with words that cut right through her.

"You're the weakest student I've ever had."

Sit Ups

Hotaru should be feeling proud at the fact that she simply got into this top hero academy. The first phase of her plan has been completed and the pieces are falling into place. Yet, she feels as dejected as ever.

So far, she produced amazing results in the fifty-meter dash, standing long jump, and the repeated side steps. Those top scores alone should be enough to keep her from getting last overall, so expulsion isn't even a concern to her anymore. What's troubling her right now is that how every single person here is much stronger than her.

Even without the use of their quirks, their strength and endurance far surpass her own. She knows that if she didn't use her quirk at all for the fifty-meter dash, standing long jump, and repeated side steps, they would've totally destroyed her. That fact doesn't sit well in her stomach at all. She's starting to become envious and discouraged. These feelings are the exact ones she felt back then, _when she was nothing but a quirkless fool._

Aizawa's earlier statement replays in her head, and her lips downturn while her hands dangle almost lifelessly at her sides. Is she truly the weakest student he's ever had? With how these tests are going so far, it wouldn't surprise her at all if it's true. To be labeled that is embarrassing and shameful.

She stares at the handful of her classmates currently taking their sit up test. Her eyes watch Midoriya, the boy who has yet to show his quirk at all. Even without the use of his quirk she finds him formidable.

He hasn't been scoring high, but he's been scoring higher than her when she hasn't used her quirk. The determination in his eyes is influential. Anyone can tell just by looking at him that he's determined and ready to risk everything to be the hero he dreams to be. Taking risks to obtain what they want most is something they have in common.

"Aihara and Todoroki," Aizawa points at the now free sponge-pad. "You both are partnered up over here for your sit up test."

Hotaru's dragged out of her thoughts for the millionth time today. Her and Shoto make eye contact from across the room. Outwardly they both are indifferent, but inwardly they are both displeased. _As if things couldn't get any worse._

She's already having a bad day and is completely exhausted physically and mentally from these tests. She can't wait to go home and curl up in bed. Of all people, why is she partnered with Shoto? For this exercise they'll have to touch each other. Is it possible to get out of this somehow?

"Can I use the bath—?" Hotaru begins, raising her hand.

"No." Aizawa cuts her off and she sighs. No, she definitely cannot get out of this. She'll just have to endure it.

She starts to make her way over to Shoto while rubbing her dry and tired eyes. He's already standing by the sponge-pad and is no longer looking her way. His hands are in his pockets and he's staring down at the gymnasium floor, disgruntled.

Once she reaches his side he looks over at her. Unlike the tension in the air between them before, an awkwardness now hovers. She looks off to the side and he crouches down on the pad, sitting on his knees. She takes that as a silent sign that he wants her to go first.

Stepping onto the cushioned mat, she sits across from him. Silence still lingers between them. His hands press against the top of her dark shoes to hold her feet in place, and that's when they make eye contact once again. Her eyes are drawn to his scar and his lips form a straight and rigid line at her obvious staring.

"I realize I'm overstepping my bounds," She murmurs suddenly, making the coldness in his expression fade only slightly. "But, I'm curious. How did you get that scar?"

Her question makes his eyes narrow into a glare even more fierce than before. She doesn't recoil at all from the icy coldness he's displaying, she only merely continues to gaze at him with her dull eyes.

"That's none of your business." He answers bitingly.

"Right. Forget I asked, then." She smiles a little dismally. "Let's get this over with. I'm not fond of this anymore than you are. I plan to use my quirk for this, but since you'll be in contact with me you experience some mild shocks. If you aren't comfortable with that I won't even bother."

"I don't care."

"Great, because I don't either."

"Then why even bother informing me?"

"Easy. I don't know whether you're still a crybaby or not." She proclaims, letting the top half of her body fall backwards onto the mat. "It would be shameful if the 'best hero in the entire world' were to shed tears over such tiny shocks."

Shoto's eyes shuts and his teeth grit. An indignant tremble forms in his appendages and he draws in a profound breath. Her words get under his skin so easily and just her presence alone riles him up. He can't have that. He needs to calm down and refocus himself.

He's trying to prove his old man wrong and show he can become a hero with just his right side. He'll accomplish that while also making this girl before him eat her words and past actions. Why she's here and what she's plotting is something he doesn't know, but he does know it's something nefarious. _She's a villain._

Aizawa starts the timer for one minute from afar, uttering a "start." Hotaru proceeds to do her sit ups with Shoto holding her feet down securely. Shoto doesn't feel any electrical shocks or sparks at all, and bewilderment washes over him. She's not using her quirk, only her own mediocre physical capabilities. She finishes with a poor score of eighteen.

Shoto releases her feet, watching as she sits up slowly with a yawn. She's openly trembling with fatigue already and her eyes are shut. After all that talk and her claiming she doesn't care, why didn't she use her quirk? If she used it, she could've got a great score. He doesn't question it, due to the fact he loathes socializing with her.

They swap places quietly, and for the remainder of the sit up test they keep their lips sealed. Hotaru keeps her eyes downcast as she holds his feet down, counting in her head for every sit up he does. He astonishingly is able to do more sit ups than there are seconds in a minute. She expected as much.

She removes her hands from him the moment he's done. With her eyes shut, she rises onto her feet and shoves her hands into her pockets. She starts to take steps away from him. Before she's out of his earshot, she mutters almost inaudibly.

"Sorry about earlier."

Hotaru walks off to the far end of the gymnasium, feeling Shoto's gaze drilling into her back approximately the whole time. She presses her back against the wall, sinking down until her bottom hits the ground. Her eyelids raise slightly, and she stares down at her hands.

That test was supposed to be a high score easily handed over to her, but she completely blew it. The chances of her getting expelled from these tests are pretty much still nonexistent, so she's not bothered a whole lot by it. Something else is bothering her.

She brings her knee up, folding her arm over it and straightening out her other leg. Her silver orbs watch as Shoto stands and moves to the opposite end of the room. She wishes he wasn't here, yet at the same time she's thrilled. This really is a disappointing situation she's caught up in, but she supposes she should be thankful.

This role she's been given is quite complicated. Shoto's presence now makes her have to tweak a few things, but her revenge is much closer now, although more challenging to obtain.

Lying low will be essential, and playing hero is even more vital than that. She slipped up a few times already by letting her emotions get the better of her. She needs to refocus herself and remember who it is she wants to become.

A shadow looming over her makes her look up. Aizawa is standing before her, staring down at her with his dark and keen eyes. Hotaru crosses her legs and places her hands neatly in her lap.

"What was your score?" He asks, making Hotaru realize she completely neglected to inform him of that.

"Eighteen."

"Eighteen?" He repeats, and Hotaru's cheeks become rose dusted at the look he's giving her.

"Is it really _that_ bad?"

"I'm starting to question whether you're really that villain's daughter or not." He deadpans.

"Do you want me to dig him up from his grave, so you can be sure?" She questions sarcastically, though her lips twitch upwards in amusement.

"Why didn't you use your quirk?" He asks, neglecting her question and making her visibly tense.

She stares at him with slightly widened eyes before looking off to the side with pursed lips. Annoyance starts to spark to life within her, and she does a rather poor job of keeping it off her face.

"You ask a lot of questions, Sensei." She grumbles, though answering his question to keep up her appearance. "If I used it, I would've shocked Todoroki-san. Isn't hurting my classmates not allowed?"

"So, it had nothing to do with remorse?"

Hotaru slowly rises onto her feet and a dark shadow is cast over her face. Her silvery eyes resemble the calm before a treacherous lightning storm. _Remorse?_ For him to use that word and even suggest it makes her blood boil. He's talking as if he knows what happened all those years ago. That shouldn't be possible unless someone who knows of those events is feeding him information. There's only one person who comes to mind.

"Remorse?" She repeats, her voice hollow. "What makes you think that?"

"Selfish villains wouldn't care about inflicting pain upon others." He answers.

The deathly calm look Hotaru wore has been replaced with a shocked one. His answer brings her relief. He doesn't know about her story or what happened all those years ago like she thought. She took his words the wrong way. He was really implying that she felt remorse at the thought of hurting him just minutes earlier.

She only didn't use her quirk because she didn't want to hurt Shoto... _yet_. Additionally, she wasn't sure if she would be penalized for hurting her classmate no matter how lightly. Yes, that's what she keeps telling herself. However, going with that reasoning doesn't explain her apology that came out on its own. _Ah, crap._

"Maybe you're right."

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Final Results and Discussions

❤•○●○•❤

"Don't forget that day, Taru." Rai stresses.

"I could never forget." Hotaru murmurs, staring up at the full moon.

"What they've done, what's become of us because of them," He bites out. "Everything we've done up til now is for our revenge. We're so close. Don't forget your role."

"I won't. Cross my heart and hope to thrive."

"...It's 'cross my heart and hope to die.'"

"...Says the supposedly dead man."

Rai laughs.


	8. Final Results and Discussions

**Oblivious ninja IJ:** Hehe, thought of you as I wrote Kaminari's pick up line! Hoatru is a little weakling indeed~ And haha her and Aizawa are a lot alike, aren't they? But, she's not his secret love child even though it does seem like it, lol. c: I got tons of plans for them, though!

 **AugustRrush:** Thank you! :D

 **bbymojo:** Aw, seriously? Thank you so much your words mean a lot! ❤ This story is one of my favorite ones to write for sure! And yeah I want them to get along too seriously. Sometimes when I'm writing their interactions I find myself making them too cool with each other then I have to rewrite it lol. Even I have to force myself to be patient. xD

 **kaycblu:** ❤~!

•

 **As always, thank you to everyone supporting this story!**

 **It really does bring me joy being able to share my writing with everyone, so I'm happy everyone is enjoying this story so far!**

 **I can't wait to get further along in it!** ≧◡≦

 **I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and I apologize for any errors there may be.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Final Results and Discussions

❤•○●○•❤

* * *

"Can I try again?" Hotaru clings to the baseball, refusing to hand it over to Aizawa.

"No. You got two meters. Deal with it."

An annoyed Aizawa tries to snatch the ball from her again, but Hotaru has the nerve to use her quirk to enhance her reflexes to dodge his hand. A popping vein forms on his temple and Hotaru clutches the ball even tighter.

"Sensei, please! I just came up with a new strategy—! Ack!"

Aizawa's capture weapon darts outwards, the hard fiber wrapping around her and keeping her rooted in the same spot. His eyes are glowing red as he uses his quirk to erase hers. He takes heavy steps towards her, his capture weapon dragging her closer so he doesn't have to walk the entire distance. It's very easy for him to pry the ball from her fingers. Once he does, he releases her, _but not before thumping her harshly on the forehead._

"Jeez… How many times do I have to use my quirk on you kids?!" He rumbles, sauntering away from Hotaru and leaving her alone to clutch her throbbing forehead.

Her body trembles in pain, her brain still seeming to rattle from that simple flick. To inflict pain on her without any hesitation shows he's just as audacious as Recovery Girl. She can't bring herself to be angry because she's currently too ashamed with herself.

She just finished the final test, which was the ball throw. For the longest she stood in the circle debating on how she should use her quirk. In the end, she decided to channel lightning through her body to increase her speed. She figured the quicker she threw the ball, the farther it would travel. In her head she imagined a catapult. It was the ideal idea until she miscalculated when to release the ball.

She let go too late, and as a result it slammed into the ground only six feet in front of her. It was… _embarrassing_. Her cheeks are still burning from it. She wanted to try again, only this time tossing the ball in the air and hitting it with a lightning strike, but Aizawa is obviously so against giving her a second chance. Now she has to endure this embarrassment, _as well as try to ignore the fact that everyone seen that pathetic throw._

"It's okay, Taru-chan." Kaminari walks over to her, patting her back in hopes to cheer her up. "It was a good idea."

"No. It was awful." She disagrees, straightening up and keeping her head ducked mainly to hide her red cheeks. "It…" She yawns and rubs at her sleepy eyes. "...Was so disappointing."

"But," Aoyama appears before them, making them look over with raised brows. Hotaru squints at the dazzling sparkles surrounding him from his pose, bringing her hand up to shield her eyes. "You were insufficiently sparkling!"

Hotaru stares at the glistening blonde in front of her with furrowed brows. Was that supposed to be a compliment or an insult? She takes it as an insult, and his tone implies that he believes himself to be better than her. She can't even take offense to that. Everyone here may as well be very much above her.

"...Thanks." She sighs, walking away from the two boys and over to Aizawa when he calls everyone over. As always, she stands behind everyone else and as far away from Shoto as possible.

Kaminari sort of hovers by her, though standing roughly in front of her. Mineta chooses to stand next to her. She glances down at him, seeing his hands clasped together in front of him and an actual nervous expression on his face as he awaits the final results. This tense side to him is something she would've never thought he had, and it makes her feel sorry for him.

"I'm sure you did fine, Mineta-kun." She whispers over to him, comparing his weird face to a pug once again. He looks over at her with a tiny smile and rosy cheeks, his eyes pulsating. _Ah, there's the Mineta she knows._ She smiles lightly.

"Thank you, Taru-chan." He breathes out dreamily, and her lips purse. Of course, he would start calling her "Taru-chan" now. Well, whatever. It's only temporary.

When she looks ahead and at Aizawa, she notices Kaminari's form is closer to hers now. A question mark appears over her head and she blinks, wondering when he moved and why.

"Okay, I'll quickly tell you the results. The total is simply the marks you got from each test. It's a waste of time to explain verbally, so I'll show you the results all at once." Aizawa informs, holding something that looks like a remote and pressing a single button which projects their scores.

When Hotaru begins to search for her name, her fingers tremble slightly. Sweat forms on her temple and it's not from the warm sun, but rather her nerves. She doesn't see her name and her heart stops. Rubbing her eyes, she looks again desperately in hopes that she merely missed it. _She did._ Her name is displayed in all its glory and occupying the ninth-place spot. She lets out a profound breath she didn't even know she was holding.

Ninth place was higher than what she was expecting. Instead of feeling proud, she feels bummed out. The only reason she achieved her score was because of her quirk. This score is meaningless to her.

She knows that her quirk is strong and that she could do so much with it, but without it she's powerless. Even though she didn't come in last, she knows that she doesn't measure up to anyone here. If these tests didn't allow the use of quirks, she would've taken last place easily. This really is a punch in the gut to her. How can she be a villain if all these heroes in training are stronger than her?

"By the way," Aizawa powers off the projection screen. "I was lying about the expulsion."

Everyone makes some sort of stunned face, Shoto included. Hotaru's lips are downturned and her eyes are narrowed. To think that Aizawa caused her to stress out with a single lie… _how disappointing._

"It was a rational deception to draw out the upper limits of your quirks." Aizawa grins, his bloodshot eyes enlarging to match his shrewd smile.

"What?!"

Hotaru looks over at the three people who yelled the loudest, them being Midoriya, Iida, and Uraraka. Iida's glasses have cracked from his wail, Uraraka has grown pale, and Midoriya resembles a distorted pencil sketch drawing. Hotaru actually has to do a double take at the state Midoriya is in. He must've been beyond nervous if he's reacting like that.

"Of course, it was a lie." Yaoyorozu speaks up, making Hotaru look over at her. Her hands are on her hips and her cat-like eyes are gazing at everyone in disbelief that they haven't caught on to that. "It should've been obvious if you just thought it through."

If it should've been obvious then Hotaru must be extremely dumb. The way Aizawa spoke of the expulsion and the expression he wore made it very believable. She didn't suspect his words to be a lie for even a second.

"That was a little nerve-wracking, huh?" Sero turns to Kirishima with a drained smile, being the first to break the stunned silence.

"I'll take up the challenge anytime!" Kirishima grins, clenching his fists in determination.

"With that, we're done here." Aizawa starts up again, grabbing everyone's attention while taking his leave. "There are handouts with the curriculum and such in the classroom so when you get back, look over them. They should be in your desks. After that, you can leave. Aihara,"

"Yes?" Hotaru straightens up at her name and when he looks over at her.

"Come with me. I need to print a handout for you."

"Okay." She nods, walking after him only to stop when someone grips her shirt. She looks down to see Mineta.

"I'll wait for you at the front doors, Taru-chan." He whispers, licking his lips. Hotaru remains silent before answering.

"Please, don't."

"I'll wait for you too!" Kaminari grins, pointing at himself with his thumb. "And if you want, maybe we can grab a bite to eat? I'll pay."

Hotaru stares at the two boys with widened eyes. It's her first day here and everyone knows who her father is because of her quirk, yet already there are people who want to hang out with her.

She wonders why for a short moment, but when she recalls how they flirt with her it's obvious. She's not worried in the slightest of them taking advantage of her. If it comes to that she could easily shock them unconscious. Kaminari's quirk is similar to her own so he may have some resistance to her shocks, but if she uses a high enough voltage she can stun him briefly.

Due to her oversleeping she neglected to eat and after using up all of her energy today she's currently starving. It's tempting, especially since he's willing to pay. It's also a little heartwarming too. However, she can't afford to get side tracked from her plan even if it's for a brief moment. Besides, she's not here to hang out with people or make friends in general. If she's being honest, she rather sleep than eat anyway.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm going to have to say no." She waves them off, continuing after Aizawa.

Kaminari's shoulders sag in defeat and he lets out a sigh. Mineta turns to jab a finger at the blonde, making him blink a couple times in confusion.

"How dare you try to steal her from me, Kaminari?!"

"I'm not stealing her from you. She totally neglected you." He shrugs slightly and looks after Hotaru. "...She's so cute when she blushes."

"Yes… but have you ever seen her smile before?" Mineta asks, smiling smugly.

"She smiled a few times today." Kaminari raises a brow.

"I mean have you seen her _really_ smile? Not a smirk… not a half smile… but a smile that makes her eyes shine?"

"Pfft," Kaminari laughs shortly. "Are you saying that you have? Wait… have you really?"

Mineta laughs evilly and runs off, planning to pick more flowers that hopefully won't get electrocuted this time. Maybe she just didn't like the flower he picked that much. This time, he'll pick some roses. _Yes,_ she strikes him as a rose type of girl. It matches her anti-hero status. Kaminari runs after him, trying to pry for more information.

As those two degenerates run off, Shoto stares after them. He heard their exchange, and little did they know he has witnessed Hotaru's smile before along with so much more. All he can think as he stares after those two is that they couldn't have choose a better way to waste their time. As if on cue, Hotaru walks past him.

Her drooping eyes don't look his way, and as she passes by her head turns in the other direction as if to shield him from her sight. His eyes narrow slightly, and he looks off in the opposite direction as well.

"See you tomorrow." Her voice reaches his ears suddenly, making him look over. She's looking his way now, peering at him from over her shoulder with unreadable eyes. The way she's gazing at him is like she's expecting a response, which is senseless on her part. She also couldn't have chosen a better way to waste her time—that being to try and interact with him any kind of way.

She's smiles a little provokingly, and instead of glaring he doesn't react in the slightest. Although, is face does bare its naturally aloof expression. Just like he doesn't react to her small smirk, he doesn't respond to her words either. He turns and walks away. He's done letting her get to him. She's nothing but a heartless villain, so why should he let her get under his skin any more than she already has?

Hotaru stares after him shortly before continuing on her way with a sigh. He toughened up awful quick, it seems. It really is a waste of time trying to mess or interact with him in any way, especially now since he's completely ignoring her. Well, that's for the best. Starting now she'll just leave him be, but she's going to make it a point to watch him keenly. She needs to remain focused. If she screws her plan up… she's done for.

"Midoriya," Aizawa's voice is picked up by her ears when she reaches his side. He's holding out a small note to Midoriya. "Have the old lady fix you up in the nurse's office. Tomorrow will be packed with even more rigorous tests. Prepare yourself."

After Midoriya takes the note with a troubled expression, Aizawa starts walking off. Hotaru's spares Midoriya a glance before following after her teacher. She feels a little bad. Rationally speaking, she should've been the one to get last place. Even though the test was purposely to judge their quirks, she still feels that way.

"Uh, Aihara-san!" Midoriya's voice makes her look over her shoulder. He's gazing at her with a hesitant smile, though his eyes shine genuinely. "I never got to thank you for standing up for me. So, thank you!"

"What…? Oh." She murmurs to herself, recalling how she sort of stood up for him against Iida.

She only stepped in because she was dragged into the situation too. That's what she claims, but she knows she would've eventually stepped in regardless. She's been in his shoes once before, and she knows how comforting it is to have someone step in and defend you when bullies have you cornered. Yes, _she knows that feeling all too well._

"You're welcome." She smiles. "If it happens again, let me know. Next time I'll zap his—"

"Aihara." Aizawa cuts her off, his dark eyes glinting in warning at her villainous tone. He's no longer walking and waiting for her to catch up.

"Sorry." She mumbles, following after him while also muttering a farewell to Midoriya. "Hope your finger gets better."

Aizawa only starts taking steps again once she's close by. When they turn around the corner of the gymnasium building, he gives her that same look that she finds completely scary—though she won't admit that out loud.

"I'm warning you one more time, don't cause me or my students any trouble. That includes watching what comes out of your mouth." He warns, and she nods with pursed lips.

"Alright. But…" She trails off, fiddling with her clothing. "I was joking about the zapping."

"Don't care."

"Well, at least I'm not going around yelling 'die' and trying to attack students." She smirks as she refers to Bakugo's earlier actions.

"Unlike you, he's not a villain."

"Got me there."

"Aizawa-kun, you liar!" A voice Hotaru can recognize in a second joins in.

Hotaru turns quickly, her wild hair whipping at her movements. All Might is standing against the wall of the gymnasium. Her eyes sparkle at the sight of the number one hero in a suit. Even in casual clothing he looks so heroic. He looks her way and waves at her, which she returns idly.

"All Might." Aizawa mutters drowsily, only glancing his way. "So, you were watching? Too much time on your hands?"

At that, Hotaru stares at Aizawa with a slightly agape mouth. _Whoa._ That was pretty cold. She finds herself smiling. Aizawa is definitely her favorite hero at this academy. He's straight forward and speaks what's on his mind candidly, always very realistic. He is a true hero.

"'A rational deception,' you said?" All Might continues with his blindingly bright smile, unfazed by Aizawa's crudity. "April Fools was last week. You punished a whole class of last year's first-years with expulsion. You cut those you judge to be without potential without hesitation. For a man like you to take back his words," He points his index finger at Aizawa in a flash. "That must be because you also felt the potential of that kid, right?"

Hotaru's lips purse. Aizawa really expelled an entire class? Even from her villain stand point, that's crazy harsh. This kid All Might is talking about, is it Midoriya?

"'Also?'" Aizawa quotes, looking at All Might once again which causes the infamous hero to tense. Hotaru wasn't aware All Might could look as skittish as he does now. It's baffling. "You seem to be supporting him quite a bit. Is that how a teacher should be acting?"

Aizawa starts walking again, and Hotaru hovers in the same spot a little awkwardly. Her drooping silver eyes look back and forth between the two heroes. There is an obvious tension hovering in the air. She gives All Might a two fingered and parting salute before jogging to catch up with Aizawa, knowing she's supposed to be following him.

"His potential was not zero. That's all it was. I will always cut those without potential. There's nothing crueler than letting a dream end midway." Aizawa mutters, and Hotaru's eyes widen a notch.

All Might stares after Aizawa and Hotaru, his finger lightly scratching at his cheek. He kind of foresaw such a response from Aizawa. However, he knows the man is just being kind in his own way. All Might then focuses on Hotaru.

He is happy to see the young girl at this school. When he learned her homeroom teacher was Aizawa, he was sure she was going to be expelled. It's shocking that she's still here, but ultimately wonderful. He cannot wait to begin officially teaching her the ways of a hero in her Heroics class starting tomorrow.

His grin grows wider and he brings his hand to his forehead, shielding the sun from his eyes as he stares after the two. They both walk with their hands in their pockets and hunched forward slightly due to their tired states. Their messy dark hair sways from side to side. All Might laughs. Those two are definitely cut from the same cloth. If he didn't know better, he would think them to be related.

"Aizawa-kun," All Might says aloud, though quietly to the point his voice can't be heard. "Even though you claim that's not how a teacher should act, you seem to be supporting Young Aihara quite a bit yourself."

Aizawa's earlier statement replays in Hotaru's head on repeat, and her brows furrow. She looks towards the bright blue sky, gazing at a cloud drifting over their heads. He claims to cut those without potential, and he claimed that he didn't find her hopeless too. The organ in her chest races and she can't stop herself from taking in a sharp breath.

 _She knows now what Aizawa's words meant._

She clasps her hands together behind her back with a smile, lowering her eyelids. _How troublingly sweet._ She laughs a bit and looks over at him.

"You're pretty cool, Sensei." She says, and he looks her way briefly. "I think you and I could be pretty good friends."

"As if heroes and villains can be friends."

"Exactly. That's why I'm just speaking hypothetically." She waves her hand through the air for emphasis, fighting back a yawn. She learned long ago that a heroes and villains cannot be friends.

Aizawa sighs, looking down at her lazily smirking form. He resists the urge to roll his eyes which is a rare temptation for him. His next words make her eyes widen and irises shrink. Sweat forms on her temple and her step even falters.

"You try too hard."

"...You're nobody's fool, that's for sure." She whispers with a forced smile at his insane perceptive ability.

"Why are you here?" He asks seriously, and she brings her index finger over her lips.

"Can't say."

* * *

Hotaru stands on the concrete railway platform and amidst a small crowd of people. She smells the scent of oil and burnt rubber, along with various types of food people around her are snacking on. There are small conversations taking place around her, and easily she can hear the train she plans to board approaching in the distance.

The overhang she's positioned under shields her from the sun to her appreciation. She's been out in the sun all day for the quirk apprehension test and she's tired of the light it gives off. It's straining her tired eyes.

Adjusting her bag on her shoulder, she stares down at the curriculum paper in her hand. All the classes displayed are the basic subjects such as math, english, and science. The only two classes that stand out as different is "Modern Hero Art History" and the class of "Heroics." She wonders how those classes will go.

Her jaw stretches when she yawns suddenly, and she uses her free hand to rub at her eyes before pulling out her phone. Normally she would stare at the picture of her and All Might that still serves as her wallpaper, but all the notifications she has block the photo. She lets out a heavy sigh, seeing over thirty text messages from her mom. They are pointless and unsurprising texts. She skims through them.

" _Hey Hotaru, mommy loves you!"_

" _I'm so proud of you, my prodigious villain."_

" _Are those heroes being mean to you?"_

" _Hotaru? Are you injured again?!"_

" _Are you still alive? Why aren't you answering?!"_

Hotaru shakes her head and shifts her weight. Her mom is being over-dramatic as always. She wishes she would just calm down for once. It was her and her father's orders for her to enroll in U.A., they know she has to act like a model student, so she should know that she can't have her phone out twenty-four-seven. Nevertheless, she replies to her mom.

" _I'm alive. I'll be home in a few."_

Not even a couple seconds after her text is delivered, her mom responds.

"❤"

With another bothersome yawn, Hotaru lowers her phone, coincidentally right when the train she was awaiting pulls up. She takes steps towards the train doors closest to her right when it opens, waiting for the crowd of people exiting to clear away before she proceeds to enter. As soon as she takes that first step inside, she bumps into a body who is also entering the train.

"Sorry." She apologizes ironically at the same time they do. Their voice makes her tense and she looks over with widened eyes, seeing none other than Shoto Todoroki.

He's staring at her with the same shocked expression, not expecting to see her much like she was not expecting to see him. Instantly, the two of them scowl and look away from each other. They continue on and board the train like nothing happened.

Hotaru tries to move her way through the many bodies of people, but there are just too many of them. Normally the train isn't this crowded. Is there an event of some sort going on today that she doesn't know about? The only free space she can see is one empty seat, _right next to another empty seat._

Shoto spots the free seats too and moves over to one before it's taken. While he does that, Hotaru hovers in the same spot. Her eyes survey her surroundings quickly, waiting for another free seat to reveal itself. That doesn't happen, _which is just her luck._

The train doors are about to close and she's not the only one looking for a seat. With a disappointed sigh, Hotaru claims the seat next to Shoto before it is taken by anyone else. She shrugs her bookbag off, placing it in her lap and hugging it to her chest. All she can think is what an awkward situation this is. She suddenly finds the koi keychain on her bag very interesting.

When the train begins to accelerate and as silence hovers heavily between them, she finds it getting harder and harder not to glance his way. She really shouldn't, but she does.

He's staring out the window, that being easy for him since his seat is right against it. The sunlight streaming within highlights his features. Sometimes the giant star is blocked out by a city building, making a shadow cast over him instead. Light and dark, it goes back and forth across him. It's a hypnotizing sight. But, she has to wonder about something.

She had to go to the teacher's lounge with Aizawa so he could print her out the curriculum. That obviously took up more time as opposed to her classmates who already had theirs printed out and only needed to retrieve it from the classroom. Afterwards, she idled some more of her time by walking around aimlessly.

Shoto still has his bookbag, giving away that he hasn't gone home just yet. Her eyelids lower slightly. Is he stalling and trying to stay away from his home? She looks away from him, her eyes moving downcast. It seems they have that in common—wanting to avoid home for as long as possible. Only, _his reasoning behind such actions…_

She's not sure why, but she begins to study his shoes. Maybe she only does this because they are in her line of sight. Nevertheless, she notices one of them is on the verge of becoming untied. _Perfect._

"Your shoe is about to come untied, Todoroki-san." She begins, openly pointing at his shoe with a lazy smile. "You should tie it, so you don't trip and fall. That would be embarrassing, especially for you."

He doesn't look her way, and nor does he speak. With how he continues to gaze out the window and how he doesn't even glance her way, it's almost like she didn't say anything at all, or like he didn't hear her, but in reality, he ignored her. She knows that and so does he.

"You should get one of these," She continues through a yawn, bringing up her foot so her shoe is visible. A dark clip is adorning her laces. "They keep your shoes from coming untied."

She is ignored once again, and she lowers her foot to the ground with narrowed eyes. Just earlier she claimed him ignoring her was for the best, and that she would leave him be for now. Although, leaving him be was only her specifying to herself to not provoke him anymore. She already failed in that.

"Okay, real talk." She says, her pestering tone doing a complete one-eighty. "On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst, how much do you hate me?"

He continues to ignore her until her finger prods into his arm repeatedly. She gasps silently, and her eyes enlarge in surprise when he roughly smacks her hand away. The glare he's giving her makes her shiver slightly, and not in a good way. Those eyes are the mirror image his father's.

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but back off." He bites out, and her hand drops limply into her lap. He didn't answer her question with words, but his actions gave her a clear response.

"...Fair enough." She whispers, averting her silvery eyes from him when they darken and resemble ferocious storm clouds. "But," Her fingers curl tightly into her bag. "You misjudge me."

For the remainder of the ride, Hotaru keeps her lips sealed shut. She should've kept them sealed this entire time, but she just couldn't. There was something she wanted to know and try, something she wanted to confirm in order to move forward in her plan. The few words they exchanged answered and filled in all the blanks. As frustrating as it is, it was necessary. Now, she needn't say a single word to him ever again.

A few minutes go by until the train comes to a stop. The doors open and even though this isn't Hotaru's destination, she stands. She can't sit next to Shoto for another second. Any longer and she's sure to lose it. She rather walk whatever distance she has to than stay here.

She slings her bag over her shoulder and heads towards the nearest exit, feeling eyes drilling into the back of her head as she walks. Pure frustration is flowing through her veins and showing on her features. Every person she passes by shrinks back at her dark expression, instinctively moving out of her way.

When she exits the train, the simple shrinking back of people morphs into something more intense. Parents hold tight to their children while others pale and move out of her way like their lives depend on it.

Does she really look that terrifying? Perhaps she does, but when she notices the blue sparks adorning her fingertips she knows her quirk is the main cause of these reactions. Despite the chaos unfolding around her, she can only find herself wondering when she last let her anger show like this.

She really should get a hold of herself, but she doesn't want to and she can't help it. This time around she wants to let out all her anger that's been on the verge of overflowing inside her for what feels like forever. If any consequences come as a result of her actions, she'll deal with them accordingly. Right now, all she can think is, _curse him._

Her feet carry her heavily through the crowded station. She moves with steps as light as an assassin's, matching her villainous appearance perfectly. It's only when she enters an empty dark alley when she comes to a stop in her walk. In a city this vast, finding obscure places like this is easy.

With a tight jaw she shrugs her backpack off, letting it land on the grubby ground with a thud. Her eyes shut and she draws in a sharp breath, urging herself to calm down. The tiny sparks of blue dancing around her fingertips vanish and she lets out that sharp breath she drew in. _No, she needs to vent._

Her eyelids raise and reveal her resentful silvery orbs. She jabs her fingers skywards and hurls a large and vivid lightning bolt. It shoots through the overhead clouds and a loud boom of thunder emits as a result. Any animals nearby scatter and the sound of startled people echo from the distance.

Sweat glides down Hotaru's face and she takes backwards steps until she comes in contact with the brick wall. She sinks down onto her bottom, shutting her eyes once more and letting out a content sigh. For once this heat and sweat feels nice. She gladly welcomes it.

As much as she is enjoying sitting in this drab place and thinking of absolutely nothing for once, she really can't stay here after letting out that large lightning bolt, and especially because of all the commotion she caused at the station. She's sure at least one person called the police and informed some Pro Heroes. Maybe she should've kept it together.

"Didn't know you were capable of losing your cool." A familiar voice sounds out from her right, and her head inclines in that direction.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you that. Did your revenge not go well?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really?"

That's when Hotaru opens her eyes and looks at the man before her with a dull expression. His black hair is styled in messy spikes, and the dark mauve patchwork on his face and neck seems to get more unsettling every time she sees him. She stares into his turquoise eyes.

"Dabi," She leans forward and crosses her legs, though being mindful of her skirt. "How do you even know of that?"

"That uniform." He answers blandly, and she brings her hand to the back of her neck.

"Oh, yeah. Forgot." She says through a yawn. "I'm still in the process of doing things. You shouldn't get tangled up in it. Don't bother yourself."

"Wasn't going to. But, you already dragged me into a troublesome situation. That attack of yours has Pro Heroes approaching this spot right now."

"...Ugh," Hotaru sighs and stands up slowly, her muscles aching from the quirk apprehension test. "How disappointing. Sorry. Want me to distract them so you can make your escape?"

"I don't need your help, and I don't think you'd be able to do much against this group in any case." He waves her off, walking past her and further down the alley. "You should get going too."

For a split second, she's not sure how his words should be taken. Was he implying that she is weak? Or, was that a genuine warning? Knowing Dabi and taking his personality into consideration, it has to be the latter. If it really is that, then what hero is on their way here right now? Curiosity gets the better of her and she hovers in the same spot for a few minutes longer.

She stands in the middle of the alley, her backpack slung over her shoulder once again. Her silvery eyes stare down the opposite direction Dabi went, figuring the heroes will come from that way. It would make no sense for him to retreat in the direction they are coming from.

For the longest she sees nothing, and she yawns, wondering why she's wasting her time like this. She also wonders if Dabi was just being overdramatic, or if he was lying. Although she doesn't plan on going home right away, she could be doing something more interesting than standing around in the shadows like this.

Rubbing at her eyes, she turns around and starts taking steps in the direction Dabi went. While she's out like this, she may as well pay Daichi a visit. After today and how Aizawa suggested she felt remorse, there are some things she wants to ask him, _and some things she needs to confirm_. Her fingers curl tightly, then suddenly she hears footsteps that aren't her own.

She comes to a stop in her walk and looks over her shoulder. As of right now there is no one she can see, but as the sound of footsteps grow louder she knows someone is approaching. Her body turns and halfway faces the opposite direction.

Her silvery eyes stare into the dark shadows. No figure greets her, but something else does. It's something that makes her blood run ice cold and irises shrink. Sweat forms on her temple, gliding down her face and dripping from her chin.

The shadows are gradually started to become illuminated as the footsteps grow closer. They are going to round the corner and spot her at any second. The person approaching isn't just using a flashlight to light up these dark surroundings, they may very well be the light itself. It's a flickering light, _red hot flames._

She should've left with Dabi. Not only does she not stand a chance, if this person spots her everything she's done thus far will be ruined. _Her plan will be ruined._ She used to envision herself raging on this person, but right now all she feels is the strong urge to escape which is a result of this fear building up in her. If he sees her, especially in this school uniform, _it's all over._

Turning on the balls of her feet, she beings sprinting in the other direction with her trembling appendages. Although she's running as fast as she can, with how weak she naturally is and additionally due to all the energy she's used today, she's moving slow. That person starts running as well and she can hear him growing closer and closer.

Hotaru's eyes rapidly dart around, locking onto the metallic fire escape stairs and electrical lines above. She becomes shrouded in blue sparks as she uses her own body as a vessel for her lightning. Her legs push against the ground and before she takes the big leap needed to reach the conductors above her, she forms a ball of lightning in her palm and tosses it backwards. It bursts with a blinding flash.

The person chasing after Hotaru brings their hands up and shield their eyes, faltering in their step as they are briefly blinded. With an agitated breath, they lower their hands. When their vision clears up, all they see is leftover blue electricity flickering on the powerlines and metal stairs. Their turquoise eyes narrow and the flames surrounding them grow more intense.

"E-Endeavor!" One of the heroes that work at his agency approaches him from behind, winded from the sudden and speedy sprint. "Was that… could that have been Lightning Beast?"

Endeavor doesn't glance back at the hero, only continuing to stare at the fading blue sparks. After staying rooted in the same spot for a moment longer, he starts taking steps forward. It's evident that wasn't Lightning Beast. Everyone knows that the Lightning villain is long gone. _That was…_

"His daughter." Endeavor speaks lowly, glaring as he walks.

* * *

"...Mother of…" Hotaru breathes out, completely exhausted as she lays sprawled out atop one of the many skyscrapers in this city. "Oysters…"

Her silver eyes crack open and stare at the bright moon shining above her. To think she spent the rest of the daylight available since that almost encounter till now avoiding that guy is completely insane.

Using the power lines to escape was smart but also not so smart. Although using them had increased her speed drastically, it also caused a brief power outage and left behind traces of her blue electricity, which was equivalent to her leaving footprints in the sand. She eventually had to just lay low in an alley and wait for the coast to clear, but even that didn't work perfectly.

She felt like a rat sneaking from corner to corner. It's a miracle she even escaped, and even now it's not entirely safe enough for her to simply walk around. Police activity along with Hero activity is still high. As a result, she's just hiding out up here. This really does suck. Even though she wasn't actually spotted, this still is a major blunder on her part. She knows this is going to bite her in the butt somehow.

"Endeavor…" She murmurs to herself, raising her hand up as if to grab the moon. Her fingers curl around it. That man isn't called the number two hero for nothing. His tracking skills are amazing as well as his determination.

Her hand falls back to her side and she rolls over, staring at her backpack next to her. The longer she stares at it, she realizes that her koi keychain is now missing. She sits up with a gasp and grabs onto her bag to pull it closer. Her eyes scan every inch of it over and she even looks inside each and every pocket, seeing no sign of her keychain. The organ in her chest grows tight and she hunches over.

That keychain was really special to her and now it's lost forever. She'll never be able to retrace all of her steps to find it. Today has been the most disappointing day. Her hands cover her face as she lets out something between a yawn and sigh. She really just wants to sleep but sleeping up here isn't even an option. What time even is it?

She pulls her phone out of her pocket and sees its past midnight. That discovery makes her groan, as well as all the text message notifications she has from her mom. Her life really is such a mess.

Before she can let her body fall backwards in misery, her phone starts vibrating from an incoming call. She almost doesn't pay attention to the caller because she's sure it's just her mom as always, but she's proven wrong when she reads the name on the screen. _It's her dad._

She straightens up instantly and grips her phone tightly, staring at it with wide eyes. Her dad hardly ever calls her. In fact, he never calls her. She normally only hears from him through her mom. What could he want?

Did he somehow catch wind that she's been on the run from Endeavor all evening? Could he know that she went against his words and used some of her super moves? Does he know that she saved Mineta? She nearly misses his call from being lost in her thoughts. It takes everything in her to snap out of it and tap the green icon.

"Hello?" She brings the phone to her ear, trying to keep her voice from wavering.

"Hello, my Lightning Bug." Her dad greets, and she can't help but to smile at the nickname and his happy tone. So far, everything seems well.

"What's up?" She laughs out breathlessly and crosses her legs, fiddling with her skirt. "Did you need something?"

"I was just calling to see how your first day at the top 'Hero Academy' went." He chuckles, a sarcastic edge to his voice when he mentions the school she's attending.

"It went fine." Hotaru answers. "These heroes are quite annoying though. How much longer do I have to stay there?"

"Not much longer if you stick to the plan."

Hotaru's lips press together firmly and her eyes narrow. _Right… his plan_. She stares down at the ground below her and gnaws on the inside of her cheek as thoughts weigh heavily on her mind.

"Dad…" She begins, tracing different patterns on her skirt with her finger. "When are you going to fill me in on the entirety of this plan? You need to tell me sooner or later, you know. If you don't, I don't think I'll be able to perform at my best."

"That's what we're going to discuss now." He reveals coolly, making her body tense in anticipation. "Tell me, have you seen Endeavor's son there?"

"Endeavor's son…?" She questions carefully.

"He should be a student there." Her dad explains. "It's evident that he's following in Endeavor's footsteps. What better way is there to get back at that man for all the things he's down to us than taking out his own son and successor?"

Hotaru lowers her phone slightly and shuts her eyes. _So, that's it._ She had her suspicions, but this confirms everything. The main reason she's been ordered to attend this school is to do one thing— _to kill Shoto Todoroki_.

Her being reunited with him at U.A. of all places wasn't just a coincidence at all. She recalls all the hateful glares Shoto thrown her way and how her wacked her hand aside not so gently earlier. Her complicated situation has grown into something more severe. She can now see her death more clearly than before. It's always been certain but not to this degree.

"Taru?" Her dad's voice brings her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry." She apologizes and twirls some of her messy strands of hair. "It's just… are you sure he's supposed to be a student there?"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying as far as I'm concerned, and after seeing all the other students today…" Her eyes slowly open. "Shoto Todoroki, Endeavor's son, is not a student at this school."

Her dad doesn't reply, and she stares up at the full moon resolutely. The chilly night breeze blows by, ruffling up her hair and nipping at her cheeks. Distant police sirens blare just as her father speaks again.

"Don't forget that day, Taru." He stresses, and her teeth grit.

"I could never forget."

"What they've done, what's become of us because of them," He bites out. "Everything we've done up till now is for our revenge. We're so close. Don't forget your role."

"I won't. Cross my heart and hope to thrive."

"...It's 'cross my heart and hope to die.'"

"...Says the supposedly dead man."

Her dad chuckles and she forces herself to laugh along with him. Although, both of their laughs are entirely fake. She knows it and so does he.

"Taru," He starts up again, only this time seriously. "Are you sure he's not a student there?"

"You think I would lie to you?" She asks in a dangerously low tone. "I want this revenge just as much as you. I've been training hard with you for years for this moment. I wouldn't have enrolled in this school otherwise! Don't you know that?"

"Alright," He sighs, calming her. "Alright. I know. I never doubted you and I never will. I was just reconfirming. If what you say is true, then it seems I was given false information. Just keep your eyes peeled."

"...Will do."

"Thank you, Taru. I have to go now. I'll contact you again tomorrow. But, remember this; you truly are…" He dad begins, making her glare heatedly ahead. "My prodigy."

The call ends and Hotaru lowers her phone, letting it fall onto the ground with a clatter. She stands up silently and walks over to the edge of the building, staring down at the city below. Her eyes follow the lights of police cars and she brings her hands high above her head, stretching.

"Sorry, dad. Our views on revenge don't match up." She grins wickedly, and her hands fall back to her sides. "I'm doing things my way."

* * *

Shoto stares at the koi keychain between his fingers, holding it up into the moonlight streaming through his window. His eyes narrow slightly and a baffled crease forms in his brow. He lowers the keychain and murmurs to himself.

"Why do you still have this?"

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Hero Costumes and Combat Training

❤•○●○•❤

"Young Aihara," All Might brings his hands onto her shoulders. "Who do you want to team up with?"

Hotaru's eyes glide over all of her classmates who are available for her to chose from. Since there is an odd numbering of students, some are being offered the chance to try again in this combat exercise so she can have a partner for her turn. _Why is she always the odd ball?_ Well, whatever. She's grateful for this opportunity. There is only one person who she wants to team up with.

"Mineta-kun." She points at the small boy. "Will you be my partner?"

"Yes!" Mineta screeches with blood shooting out of his nostrils.


	9. Hero Costumes and Combat Training

**Oblivious ninja IJ:** You can say that again ٩◔‿◔۶ , haha!

 **LadyAmazon:** How did you know?! (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)

 **AugustRrush:** Thank you very much! ❤

 **bbymojo:** I can't wait for you and everyone to watch the seeds grow! And haha, maybe you're right! Guess we'll find out for sure sooner or later. I'm glad I made you laugh because I laughed writing it. xD , Honestly, writing Mineta is so fun to me and maybe I'm enjoying it too much. And please, don't apologize! I personally love long reviews and reviews in general! ❤ Being able to see my readers thoughts and get feedback is amazing. ٩(^‿^)۶ So, thank you very much! :D

•

 **Thank you to everyone, once again!**

 **I appreciate each and every one of you!** ❤

 **I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and I apologize if you come across any errors.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Hero Costumes and Combat Training

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Hotaru sits just outside class 1-A, leaning back against the wall and taking this quiet moment to rest her eyes. The hallway is empty and the sun is only just rising. Upon coming here and entering this building, she hasn't run into a single student. Although, she did run into a couple teachers who arrive early by obligation to plan lessons for the day.

They did give her a few suspicious looks, the Blood Hero Vlad King especially, but ultimately, they didn't give her too much trouble for whatever reason. She can't help but to wonder if Nezu is behind their lack of severe hostility towards her.

"Oh, you're early today, Aihara-san!" A familiar voice makes Hotaru's eyes crack open. _Speaking of Nezu…_ She turns her head, seeing the mouse creature standing next to her with a smile. She must've been in a mild stage of sleep if she didn't hear him approaching.

"Figured I would make up for my tardiness yesterday by arriving early today." She yawns, rubbing at her tired eyes.

"That's thoughtful of you." Nezu smiles, his beady eyes seeming to grow even more so. For some reason, she begins to feel uneasy. "You look more tired than usual."

"...Yeah. Couldn't really sleep last night." She waves her hand through the air in hopes to get him to drop the subject. "Strange dreams and stuff…"

"Or, perhaps you were running from Endeavor all night long and you ended up coming here since you thought this would be the last place he and the police would search, and as a result you didn't get the chance to return home to sleep?"

"..."

Hotaru's eyes have grown exceedingly wide as she stares at the principal, and her face has grown pale too. _Oh, crap._ She screwed up more than she originally thought yesterday. It was obvious her actions were going to come back and bite her in the behind somehow, but she didn't imagine it like this.

She doesn't know the exact name of Nezu's quirk, but she knows it grants him remarkable intelligence. Even if he is most likely the smartest living creature on the planet, he would need evidence to find all of that out. Either he seen her on the run yesterday, _or even worse…_

"...How do you know that?" She questions with a quivering voice.

"The news broadcast." He answers, and she brings her hands over her face. "Late last night and even early this morning the news covered strange power outages along with the sighting of lightning even though the skies were clear. Although you were not sighted or caught on any cameras, it's quite obvious that you were responsible."

"...Great." She sighs and lets her hands fall from her face. "So, what now? Am I going to be expelled?"

"Not at all." Nezu laughs at that suggestion, and that only makes her feel even more uneasy. "I'll be giving you detention instead. I must ask that you keep your temper and actions in check."

"...Okay." She gulps when he's suddenly towering over her. The light from the rising sun coming in from the window behind him makes him look like something you fear is under your bed at night.

"However, if another slip up like this happens, I will have to expel you. Understand?" He grins exceedingly wide, and that expression makes her quiver.

"...Yes, s-sir."

"Good!" Nezu's frightening appearance morphs back to his naturally cute one. His paw ruffles up her hair before he turns and walks off down the hall. "I'm expecting great things from you, Aihara-san."

When he's no longer in her sight, she gasps for air. She completely forgot how to breathe during that whole encounter. Both of her hands move over her chest and she gazes out the window ahead, turmoil as clear as day on her face. She messed up big time.

She knows for a fact that her mom doesn't watch the news, so she doesn't need to worry about her finding out about yesterday. On the other hand, she has absolutely no clue if her dad watches the news or not. She can only hope he doesn't.

On top of that, if Nezu knows that was her yesterday running from Endeavor, _why hasn't he turned her in?_ He really is plotting something against her. What is he even trying to do? She doesn't have the slightest clue anymore. In fact, she never did. Everything always backfires on her.

Tilting her head back, she stares up at the ceiling. Why is she even going through all of this stress and these tiresome obstacles to remain at this school? She asked herself something similar before, and like then the answer is still the same.

She turns her head when she hears someone approaching. His eyes are downcast, but there is no mistaking his unique hair or that scar on the left side of his face. When he begins to look up, she turns her attention back to the window. She's going through all of this because of him.

 _Shoto Todoroki._

He stands on the opposite side of the door she's on, not looking at her much like she's not looking at him. A tense and heavy silence hovers between them, and Hotaru brings her knees up so she can hug them to her chest. Her head dips ever so slightly.

He's early like she is, and she has to wonder if he put two and two together like Nezu has regarding her blunder yesterday—that is if he even watches the news or if his dad even speaks of his time on the job. However, even if he did, that's not even her greatest concern. Her greatest concern is his presence here and this unfortunate situation she's caught up in.

She enrolled here knowing exactly what she wanted to do, but him being here has complicated things greatly. Things have gotten even more complicated since she talked to her father too. _To think he wants her to kill or assist in killing Shoto…_ At that thought, she glances his way.

His eyes are shut, and his arms are crossed as he stands, leaning against the wall. As if sensing her eyes on him, his own open and look her way coldly. She swallows thickly, and goosebumps sprout out across her skin. She averts her gaze from him instantly.

Lying to her father about Shoto even after he treated and still treats her so coldly, and this revenge plan of hers… _it makes her realize how stupid and what a huge disappointment she is_. She totally signed her death certificate last night. However, that certificate was just one of the many she already signed. It doesn't even matter.

She forged this plan of hers long ago and she won't waver from it. It's too late to make a u-turn now, anyways. There is a major problem in this plan though, _and that is that she has no clue how she's even going to pull it off now._ If she's being honest, she never knew how she would pull it off. She only really put it into action last night, and truthfully just thinking about it stresses her out.

"Aihara-san."

His voice makes her body tense and eyes widen. Could she have just been hearing things? There's no way in the world he would address her, a villain who has caused many so much pain, and his past best friend who has said the most cruel things to him. Yes, she was just imagining it for sure. But… he's never called her "Aihara-san" before either. She looks over cautiously and just when he tosses something at her.

In her surprised state at him addressing her, she nearly doesn't catch the object. It's a miracle she actually does. When her fingers wrap around it, it feels cold and smooth to the touch. She slowly uncurls her fingers, her lips parting as she sees it's her koi keychain. He had found it? Letting out a relieved breath, she holds it against her chest and looks over at him with a small smile.

"Thank you, Todoroki-san." She genuinely speaks. He doesn't reply to her and merely looks away which makes her smile fade. Sighing to herself, she stares at the keychain in her hand. She's grateful to have it back, but why would he even return this to her?

"You two are early." A new voice greets them, making them look to the side.

Aizawa is walking down the hall and towards them. He looks as drowsy as ever as he drags his sleeping bag behind him. Hotaru opens her mouth to reply, but he speaks again before she can say anything.

"Aihara," He begins as he digs in his pocket for the classroom keys. "Nezu informed me of your detention. Come to the teachers' lounge when your classes are over, so I can give you your assignment."

Hotaru was under the impression that detentions meant just staying after and sitting at a desk like a prisoner would sit behind bars. She should've known U.A.'s detentions would be something completely different from the norm. As much as she wants to question what exactly this assignment is right here and now, she responds like a good student. She can't afford to make any more mistakes.

"Yes, Sensei." She murmurs and stands up.

As soon as Aizawa opens the door and props it open, Hotaru walks right in followed by Shoto. Upon entry, she notices an extra desk in the back corner of the classroom that wasn't there yesterday. It's right behind what she knows to be Yaoyorozu's desk which is right beside Shoto's. Hotaru's lips purse at how closely she is going to be sitting to him.

Ignoring her displeasure, she makes her way over to her desk. There doesn't seem to be an extra locker just yet, but that's fine. She doesn't really need one. She hangs her bag from the back of her chair before taking a seat. Once she scoots herself and her chair in, she folds her arms over her desk and uses them as a makeshift pillow for her head.

While she proceeds to take a nap, Aizawa steps into his sleeping bag and lies across the floor behind the podium to do the same. As the two of them are both instantly sucked into sleep, Shoto sits at his desk quietly with almost perfect posture as he waits for class to start.

Shoto spares a glance at the two slumbering people, wondering how a hero and villain could be so similar. That's only a brief thought, however. He's not interested in something as trivial as that. All he's interested in is proving his own man wrong. He'll rise to the top and bring down anyone standing in his way.

It's not until thirty minutes later when more students start showing up, and not until a little under an hour later when class actually starts.

Hotaru is able to wake up on her own, the sliding of chairs and chattering of her classmates proving to be the perfect alarm clock. She sits up sluggishly with a yawn, uncurling her fingers to look at her keychain once more. Instead of attaching it back to her backpack, she attaches it to her phone instead. She figures the chances of it getting lost there are unlikely. Putting her phone in her pocket, she starts to look ahead when Aizawa begins taking attendance until something catches her eyes on her desk. She has to do a double-take to ensure she's not seeing things.

A single white rose is lying across her desk. Its fully bloomed and bright petals look velvety to the touch. The thorns on the green stem have been carefully removed and there is a tiny blue bow tied to it. She stares at it wide eyed before delicately picking it up. _Who put this on her desk?_ Her question is answered when she looks two seats ahead of her.

Mineta is staring back at her with a flirtatious smile. His arm is lying across his desk is some kind of fashion that is meant to be cool, but it ultimately fails. One of his brows are raised and he points a single finger at her. That gesture reminds her instantly of what handsome cartoon characters would do to girls to make them swoon and faint.

"You don't need to say anything, Taru-chan." He whispers as he begins to drool. "Your beautiful blush says it all."

Her jaw goes slack slightly at his words. _Blush?_ She's not blushing. However, him using the word "beautiful" prompts her cheeks to warm, as well as the additional fact that him claiming she was blushing in the first place when she wasn't makes her somewhat self-conscious. Her cheeks are soon glowing a vibrant pink when she sees some of her classmates looking over at her and Mineta's exchange.

Mineta will never learn, will he? She would be lying if she said these random flowers weren't starting to get amusing. His delusional character is astonishing too. Just how many more times is he going to pull stunts like this?

"You're delusional." Hotaru mutters with a smirk, holding the flower up and channeling lightning through it. Just like the last time she disintegrated a flower from him, he wears that same horrified expression. Suddenly, the lightning surrounding her hand is stolen away from her.

"Aihara." Aizawa's stern voice makes her tense and look up. She shrinks back in her seat, paling at his red eyes and seemingly floating scarf. His dark and messy hair is standing up too.

"I-I…" Hotaru begins pathetically. Her eyes look back and forth between Aizawa and the ashes on her desk. _She screwed up again._ How can she get out of this? "...Oh. How did that happen…? Mineta-kun," She looks over at the small boy who's still trembling. "I think that flower was haunted or something. Where'd you get it—?"

"Detention." Aizawa cuts her off, his glowing eyes that grow more intense making her body ice over.

"...I already have detention."

"For a week."

"...Understood, Sensei." She ducks her head.

"You got detention on the second day of school?!" Kaminari gaps over at her, and she nods pathetically.

Nearly the entire class sweat-drops, wondering why that's so surprising due to her "villain" status. Hotaru isn't oblivious to their reactions at all, and as a result she slumps forward onto her desk, her messy hair pooling around her. She curses herself over and over in her head, and when the school day officially begins it's strangely more normal than she expected.

The first class of the day is English, and none other than Present Mic teaches the subject. She stares at the english sentence he has displayed on the board, her cheek resting against her balled up fist. The classroom is so silent it makes her ears ring and eyelids grow heavy.

She wants to sleep so badly, but she can't screw up anymore. _Ugh._ She tells herself that a lot and yet she always fails. It won't be a surprise to her if she screws up yet again. For a disappointment like her, it's only natural.

"Which of these English sentences is wrong?" Present Mic faces the class with an expression that Hotaru reads as "bored." Nobody answers his question, then he's suddenly cheering loudly and moving in the way only he does. "Everybody, heads up! Let's get this party started!"

Hotaru winces at his loud voice and rubs at her eyes. She's a little grateful this time around for his loudness. His noisy tone is keeping her awake, but yet it's also giving her a headache. She's not grateful in that regard. Yaoyorozu answers the question correctly, sparing Hotaru's poor ears of any more torture from Present Mic's yells.

After the horribly loud English class, the rest of the general education classes that were listed on the curriculum follow. Those classes are normal too. There's really not much to say about them other than they were so much quieter than English. English has always been an easy subject for her, but Present Mic's noisy voice makes it her least favorite subject.

When lunch time comes around, Hotaru declares that her favorite time of the day due to the heavenly food being served, but it's also when she realizes how much of an outcast she is here. It seems word got around fast regarding who she truly is.

Hotaru stands holding her tray of luxurious food, her tired eyes roaming over the tables full of heroic students. It's not so simple for her just to walk over and claim a seat even though the large tables still have room for an extra person.

Some people look at her fearfully while others shoot her looks that clearly say, "you can't sit here." Her eyes shut in exasperation at how rude some of these students are being towards her. However, can she really blame them? _No, she cannot._ She's not really offended either, because the last thing she wants to do is sit with any of these wannabe heroes.

After receiving a week's worth of detention and not getting a wink of sleep in over twenty-four hours, she's in a bad mood. She won't count her earlier nap as anything, because that only served to make her more tired. Her stomach growls and she starts dragging her feet towards the glass door leading outside.

"Taru-chan!" Kaminari calls out to her and waves as she walks by. "Want to sit with—?"

"Pass." She cuts him off drowsily while not even glancing his way, and he lowers his waving hand with a pout.

"Why are you trying with her?" Jiro asks when Hotaru's out of earshot, her onyx eyes looking across the table and at Kaminari.

"She's kind of cute." He grins.

"Your thoughts on her appearance aside, doesn't it strike you as strange?" Jiro sighs slightly. "The daughter of one of the most dangerous and powerful villains to live is a student at the top hero academy."

"Well, yeah I guess." He mutters, looking after Hotaru's retreating form. "But, the school accepted her. So, that's gotta be something, right?"

"Either way, it makes no sense." She nonchalantly plays with one of her earphone jacks. "Isn't it obvious she doesn't want to be a hero?"

"...Don't doubt my Taru-chan." Mineta slowly emerges from behind Jiro, eye twitching as he brings his hands onto her shoulders in a not so innocent way. "She's my sexy anti-hero—! Eek!"

"Don't touch me, scum." Jiro glares, jabbing him with her earphone jack.

"Weren't you just scared of her earlier?!" Kaminari blurts.

As soon as Hotaru steps outside, the chattering of people is replaced with the sound of singing birds. The wind blows and makes the leaves adorning the trees rustle as they dance, and the warm sun caresses her skin. She lets out a heavy and drained breath, peering up at the blue sky.

There are no other students out here and she wonders if her being out here is even allowed. It's probably not, but she doesn't care. She wants some time to herself and wants to enjoy this meal without any interruptions. Even though Kaminari's invitation was nice, there was no reason for her to accept it.

She walks over to a large tree, sitting down in the grass and leaning against its rough trunk. Using her crossed legs as a makeshift table top, she sets her tray down and starts eating in silence. The flavor of the food seems to explode upon making contact with her tongue, and her headache actually starts to die down a little. She nibbles at her breadstick and stares ahead.

Where she's sitting doesn't make her visible from the students in the cafeteria, which was intentional on her part. Eating while having people stare at her is something she doesn't want. She has enough people watching her already. Soon, she finds herself thinking of her plan. She thinks of how perplexing it is, how it's slowly changing to correspond with Shoto's presence here, _everything._

"What are you thinking about, Young Aihara?" A voice makes her eyes widen and look to the side. All Might is sitting next to her with a bento box holding his own lunch. He's dressed in that yellow suit again and the sunlight makes his pearly teeth seem to glow. She nearly leaps out of her skin.

"A-All Might?" She stutters out while sweat forms on her temple. "Why are you here?"

"Haha!" He laughs like she just told the world's most funny joke. "Dodging my question, are you?"

"...No." She mutters and looks in the opposite direction. "I was being serious."

"I was on my way to eat lunch when I seen you sitting all alone out here." He answers, bringing his muscular arms up into the air. "You looked lonely, so I came to the rescue!"

"Lonely?" She repeats quietly, slowly looking back at him. He nods. "I'm not lonely."

"You cannot fool me, Young Aihara." He beams.

Her eyes gradually narrow at his "know-it-all" tone. She presses the back of her head against the tree behind her, angling it towards the sky as she sighs. Her eyes shut, severely doubting that he sat next to her because she looked "lonely."

"Oh, great." She says sarcastically. "You've seen right through me. So, now what? Are you going to be my friend now?"

"Exactly that!"

All Might's grin grows wider when she looks back over at him in surprise. His eyes hold her silver ones, and her cheeks slowly become rose dusted. That buried look in her eyes is more apparent than ever before, revealing itself to be a distraught emotion. Her lips part to say something only for nothing to come out.

"Now, back to my previous question." He points his finger at her, making her lean back slightly. "Why are you sitting out here all alone?"

"...What are you? My therapist?" She grumbles, though answering his question. "Nobody wants to sit with a villain. Shouldn't you know that, Symbol of Peace?"

"I thought we already established that I don't see you as a villain." He pats her back, and her drooping eyes narrow.

"And why don't you? I can assure you I'm not a hero. I have no intention of becoming one either. Sure, I may have acted like one during the practical part of the exam but that was meaningless."

"You really are just like Aizawa-kun!" He laughs. "What the heck?!"

"Excuse me?" She glares, not liking being compared to a hero.

"You can drop the facade."

Her eyes enlarge instantly at his words, but mainly his suddenly deliberate tone. The wind blows more strongly, and the singing of birds is blocked out by her own rapid pulse. He lowers his head so the blue of his eyes is visible, and she can see her own unsettled expression reflecting in them. It seems Aizawa isn't the only one with insane perceptive abilities.

"What gave it away?" She asks with a smile, tilting her head slightly which causes her hair to swish.

"I've been at this for a long time." He says the words he spoke to her once before. "Young Aihara, you may not be here to become a hero, but it's obvious why you're here. You—"

"You really shouldn't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, All Might." Hotaru cuts him off smoothly, although still bearing a smile and looking skywards.

"Meddling when you don't have to is one of the true essences of a hero."

"Yeah, well…" She brings her hand up, brushing her messy bangs back and laughing lowly to herself. "That's a good way to get yourself killed. Trust me," Her smile gradually fades. "You don't want to get caught up in this. Actually, I should say _I_ don't want you to get caught up in this."

"Young Aihara," All Might frowns slightly. "What is going on?"

"Can't say." She brings her finger over her lips.

* * *

"I am coming through the door like a normal person!" All Might barges into the classroom in a not so normal way.

Hotaru merely gazes at him blankly while nearly everyone else gushes at his appearance and hero costume. Their earlier conversation is fresh in her mind, and she's annoyed with him for prying even after she kept neglecting to feed him any information about why she's here. She actually had to get up and leave to finish her lunch in peace.

"Heroes…" She grumbles to herself in exasperation, shutting her eyes and missing Shoto's forming fists.

"I teach Hero Basic Training." All Might begins. "It is a subject where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a hero. You'll take the most units of this subject! Let's get right into it! This is what we'll do today! Combat training!"

Hotaru's eyes open at that in interest. Does he mean that they are going to have an all-out brawl? She kind of snickers to herself, imagining a scene like that. She's already in love with this class.

"And to go with that are these!" All Might points off to the side and at lockers labeled with numbers emerging from the wall. "Costumes made based on your quirk registrations and requests you sent in before school started. After you change, gather is Ground Beta!"

Hotaru sits up slightly, thinking to herself. _Hero costumes?_ Does she even have one? Her eyes are drawn to the locker with the number twenty-one on it. She supposes she does. However, she doesn't recall registering her quirk or sending in any requests. _Wait._ Now that she's thinking about it, she does remember having a conversation with Nezu about such things the day she took her written entry test.

•

" _Why would you need to know the drawbacks of my quirk to design a costume?" Hotaru questions through a yawn._

" _It is necessary so our support team can design the costume to minimize any drawbacks as much as possible." He answers, bringing his paws together._

" _Huh… and I thought costumes were just for show." She mutters to herself. "Alright, then. My quirk causes me to overheat and depending on the voltage of lightning I use I can suffer from recoil. That's about it, really."_

" _Very well. Do you have any styles in mind? Or any requests for your costume?"_

" _I'm not a fashion expert so I wouldn't know. As long as it's cool and not stupid, I don't really care."_

" _Are you sure?"_

" _Of course."_

•

Hotaru stands in front of the mirror in the locker room, staring at herself with piercing eyes. Her hands find her hips and her silvery orbs gradually narrow. Perhaps she should have put in some requests regarding this costume design. Now that she's actually dressed in it, her claim that she doesn't care what it looks like is instantly withdrawn.

It's not horrible, _but it's kind of plain._ Well, it's not too plain actually. Is she only feeling this surge of disappointment because she was expecting something more flashy and not so… dark? Her finger grazes against her chin.

Her costume consists of a full-body suit with a halter neckline, the flexible and durable fabric resembling the darkest of storm clouds as it clings to her skin. It's very light weight. There are rectangular cutouts along her outer thighs that are adorned with metal chain belts. The fine chains are attached to one end of the cutout to the other, traveling horizontally and with a slight dip due to gravity.

The bodysuit lacks sleeves and reveals her shoulders, and those same exact chains decorating her legs doing the same for her shoulders. There are two for each shoulder, clasping to the front seams of the suit from the back. The long fingerless gloves that share the same fabric of the overall suit make up for the lack of sleeves, as they travel past her elbows and end in the middle of her biceps. Finally, on her feet are ankle boots that look like they are attached to her suit in general. Although, that's not the case. Those of course are also decorated in chains as well.

Looking closer, she only now just notices what looks like lightning bolt patterns spreading across the entire suit. Although, they are so transparent they might as well not even be there. She can hardly see them herself despite being the one dressed in this costume. What is the point of such tiny details if nobody can even see them?

Hotaru's lips purse and she turns in an entire circle, studying the costume some more. The longer she looks at it the more it starts to grow on her. She likes the fact that it's not so bright in color, and the storm cloud effect especially almost makes her grin. Although, she can't help but to wonder if the chains are a reference to her father. He wore similar chains to these.

She turns her attention away from herself in the mirror and turns to leave the locker room, _realizing she's the only one in here._ She rubs at her eyes, wondering when everyone left, but mainly wondering how long she's just been standing here and staring at herself. Even when her female classmates were in here, she didn't see them hardly due to them keeping their distance and herself changing in the deepest and darkest corner.

With a yawn, she turns and exits the locker room and heads straight towards Ground Beta, _which is quite the walk._ She has to leave the main school building and walk a very decent distance to get to the emulated urban area.

As she walks, she contemplates what this combat training will be exactly. She still imagines a full out brawl in her head that reminds her of a battle royal, and once again she snickers at that scene in her head. That would be an easy victory for her.

"They say the clothes make the man, young men and ladies. Be fully aware, from now on, you are heroes!" All Might's voice reaches her ears as she grows closer to the enormous gate leading into Ground Beta. His words make her falter in her step slightly, as well as bite down harshly on the inside of her cheek.

"That's great, everyone. You all look cool! Now, shall we begin, you zygotes?" All Might exclaims in excitement right when she enters, and that makes her walk stop entirely.

"Zygotes?" She mutters to herself, confused at that term.

Her eyes widen slightly when someone in a green jumpsuit runs past her and into the open. She stares at what looks like bunny ears protruding from their hood. Is that supposed to be a hero costume? Either way, that has to be the lamest get-up she's ever seen.

"Deku?" Uraraka suddenly walks over with a smile, complimenting his costume which makes him because extremely flustered. _Ah, so that's Midoriya._

Hotaru struts past them quietly as they converse, her hands clasped together behind her back. She's not interested in their conversation and nor does it concern her. Right now, she's kind of interested in seeing everyone else's costumes.

Upon first glance, she notices everyone's costume is so much more colorful than hers. When a familiar small boy runs up to her, she instantly takes back her comment of Midoriya's costume being the lamest she's ever seen.

Mineta is now standing in front of her, his eyes pulsating with hearts as he takes in her form and costume. She's too amused to care about his perverted and roaming stare that approves of her costume. She brings her hand over her mouth to muffle a laugh threatening to escape. Why does it look like he's wearing a diaper? Or, a better comparison would be a toilet bowl.

"Mineta-kun," She barely get outs while keeping her giggles at bay. "You look…" A short laugh escapes and she looks off to the side, brushing her frizzy mess of hair back as she lies. "...So cool."

"I designed it myself." He licks his lips and crosses his arms proudly.

That breaks the barrier holding her laugh at bay. She brings her hand over her mouth, laughing while she hunches over slightly. Her eyes shut, and her lashes rest against her cheeks as she just stands there and stupidly giggles. When her stomach begins to ache as a result of it, she brings her arms around her midsection habitually. It's only when she composes herself when she realizes her laugh has made her the center of attention.

She straightens up slowly, a warmth radiating in her cheeks when she sees literally everyone present gazing at her. Was her laugh obnoxious? Now that she thinks about it, she can't even recall the last time when she laughed that hard and genuinely. She begins to look away to spare herself of anymore embarrassment, only for her eyes to unintentionally lock with Shoto's.

The entire left side of his body is covered in ice and hiding away the side that resembles his father so much. Only his gray eye is visible, but that single glaring eye is somehow more intense than anything he's ever thrown her way.

Her lips part slightly, and she feels a sudden pain. Naturally her hand moves over where the ache is dwelling, _and it lingers just over her chest._ Why is it that his glares grow more and more intense? Why is he making things… _so difficult?_

"Taru-chan!" Kaminari suddenly runs over to her. There are small and squiggly red lines on his cheeks, indicating the traces of a blush. "You look amazing! Your laugh is cute, too!"

"I was going to say that, Kaminari!" Mineta exclaims, standing in front of Hotaru and holding his arms out like he's defending her from a monster.

They gaze at each other with piercing eyes full of challenge, but their intense stare is interrupted when Hotaru passes between the both of them. A shadow is cast over her face as she walks. Blinking, they both stare after her. Mineta spots something on the ground and points to warn her of the guts she's about to spill. Little does he know she's fully aware of what's lying in her path.

"Watch out Taru-chan, you're about to step on—!"

 _Crunch._

Hotaru purposely brings her foot down heavily on it, _all while keeping her gaze locked onto Shoto's_. She twists her foot against the ground and drags it gratingly backwards which emits a cringe worthy sound. When she removes her foot, a hopelessly squashed and smeared cicada is revealed. She briefly glances down at the mess she created and slowly smirks.

Shoto's fingers curl into tight fists when she closes in on him. Her fingers run through her hair, brushing it aside when she passes by him and whispers. Sparks pass between their eyes and it looks like either one of them may attack at any second.

"I've developed a liking to doing that."

* * *

Hotaru stands in the back of the monitor room with her arms crossed over her chest. Ever since her bug squashing episode, _everyone_ has been keeping even more distance than usual from her. Mineta and Kaminari are even standing pretty far away from her. She's unbothered.

She stares ahead at the screens displaying the two teams about to commence in their combat training. Team A and D are up first. _Bakugo and Iida vs. Midoriya and Uraraka._ This exercise All Might is having them do isn't what she envisioned at all.

One team plays the role of villains while the other plays the role of heroes. The villain team has a nuclear weapon hidden in their hideout. The hero team needs to either retrieve the weapon or capture the villains within a certain time frame to win, and for the villains to win they need to guard the weapon for the entire time or capture the heroes.

This isn't a simple combat exercise. Something like this requires careful thinking and a well put together strategy. This is very similar to real life situation of a hero and villain encounter indoors. She knows this because she is speaking from experience.

The teams were decided by All Might drawing lots, and he also decided which teams would be the heroes and villains. The paired teams look pretty interesting. She's a little eager to see how her classmates will go about doing things. On the other hand, she doesn't know what she's going to do, _because she doesn't have a partner to team up with._

All Might told her not to worry about not having a partner to team up with and that he would figure things out once everyone else has finished their combat training, which doesn't make any sense to her. _Oh well._ She doesn't really care. This seems easy enough either way. It may be that way for her, but not for Midoriya.

Her arms cross over her chest more tightly when the first round begins, and when Bakugo mercilessly comes at him with a surprise attack. Midoriya is able to dodge the attack and protect Uraraka in the process, and he's even able to predict Bakugo's move and send him crashing into the ground all without using his quirk, but after that Bakugo is more hostile than ever. He's almost like a villain.

Is he really here to become a hero? Since he's here, obviously. The real question is as to why he's so spiteful. The way he's glaring and cursing at Midoriya, it's evident he hates him endlessly. Their relationship isn't compatible at all, _much like Shoto's and her own._

She takes a single step forward with widened eyes when Bakugo sends a large explosion Midoriya's way even though All Might ordered him to stop. It blows a large hole in the building, making the entire monitor room rattle and leaving Midoriya more than a little scratched up. Bakugo is… _insane!_

When Bakugo maneuvers above Midoriya and hits him with a direct explosion to his back, Hotaru finds herself glaring at the back of All Might's head. He's letting this go on even though her classmates are urging him to stop this.

Why is it okay for Bakugo to display such violence? When she does something as simple as speaking in a villainous tone or burn a flower she gets more than just scolded for it.

"...Not fair." She mutters under her breath.

"He doesn't look like the type to think, but he's more subtle than I expected." Shoto suddenly speaks up, making her look over at him as he speculates.

"What do you mean?" Kirishima asks.

"He changed his course in a blast that doubled as a smoke screen and then did it again immediately." Shoto answers.

"Getting in a clean hit while fighting against inertia requires fine lateral adjustments to the power of the explosions." Yaoyorozu adds on her own thoughts, oblivious to Mineta standing next to her and staring at her exposed chest.

Hotaru turns her attention back over to the monitors, cringing every time Midoriya gets nailed with Bakugo's attacks. This is clearly a one-sided fight, and for some reason Midoriya is neglecting to use his quirk. Now that she thinks about it, the last and single time she seen him use it the force of it injured his own body. That must be why he's not using it—so he won't incapacitate himself.

" _Uh, Aihara-san! I never got to thank you for standing up for me. So, thank you!"_

Hotaru starts taking steps to the front of the room. She makes her way through the bodies of her classmates pleading with All Might to stop this fight. For some reason though, he lets it drag on. She maneuvers around Shoto and comes to a stop by the Symbol of Peace.

"All Might, why aren't you stopping this?" She inquires, looking up and over at him. The number one hero only continues to stare at the screen in turmoil. Her eyes narrow slightly at being ignored and she places herself in front of the monitors. That's when he looks at her.

"If that were me doing all of the stuff Bakugo is doing, I can guarantee you and every other hero at this school would incarcerate me in a second." She states frankly, holding her hand in front of her and palm up. "Yes, I'm a real-life villain. However, letting someone who isn't a villain do such things doesn't make it any more legitimate."

"S-She's right, Sensei!" Ashido agrees with her, which makes her look over in surprise. Her bright yellow eyes lock with her silver ones, and she even nods in support. "This is a lynching! He can just capture him for this exercise just by wrapping the tape around him!"

"...Those are not the actions of a hero." Tokoyami joins in.

Gasps make her turn around to look at the monitors once more just in time to see Midoriya and Bakugo charging at one another, _both of them using their quirks._ Just when it looks like impact is about to happen, and right when All Might finally starts to tell them both to stop, things take an interesting turn of events.

Midoriya uses the power of his punch to blow a hole clean through the many floors of the building by aiming his fists skywards. Uraraka uses that opportunity to leap onto the nuclear weapon with her zero gravity, and Team A is declared the victor. Midoriya has won, but as a result his arm is bruised and seemingly broken. He even passes out, and all Bakugo does is stare horrified because of his loss. Uraraka has won too, but now she appears to be extremely nauseous from her quirk.

The losers who played as the villains are uninjured, and the victorious heroes are on the ground. They lost the battle but won the war, as Tokoyami states aloud.

After Midoriya is taken to the nurse's office, the two teams who finished their training return to the monitor rooms to go over their results. Iida is declared the MVP, and Yaoyorozu explains in extremely fine detail as to why that is. Most of it has to do with the fact that everyone besides Iida damaged the building and acted rashly.

The remaining rounds of combat training go very smoothly and nothing like the first. Damage to the building and to the participants themselves are kept to a minimum. Everyone comes up with clever strategies and uses their quirks appropriately, creatively too. However, there is only one person she deems a worthy foe, someone she has to watch out for, someone she wants and needs to outshine. _That person is Shoto Todoroki._

He coats the entire interior and exterior of the building with ice, the intense cold of it spreading into the new monitor room they are in. She shivers violently and instantly at the nipping air. _All Might is even shivering._ Her breath escapes from her in a clouded form. As tempting as it is to warm herself up with her quirk, she doesn't. She doesn't want to risk adding to her already long list of detentions.

The whole class is huddled together around All Might to try and warm up expect for Bakugo and herself. They are standing side by side in the back and she keeps glancing his way, noting how it looks like his pride has been murdered completely. He's shivering too but not as intensely as everyone else, and she can't help but to wonder if that's because he's numb by his own feelings.

After Shoto earns an effortless win for him and Shoji, and after All Might goes over their results, they move to another building yet again. Once everyone is present in the new monitor room, All Might turns to Hotaru with a grin.

"Alright, Young Aihara!" He beams. "Now it is your turn."

"How is this going to work?" She questions, bringing her hand over her mouth as she yawns. "Am I going against you or something?"

"Haha! No!" He waves that off, amused by her sarcasm. He faces the entire class. "I am giving those who previously lost or those who felt they didn't get to contribute much at all to their victory the chance to try again. For instance, Young Shoji can go again if he wants since Young Todoroki did everything single-handedly!"

"Will those who go again receive extra credit?!" Iida asks, raising his hand high in the air.

"Yes!" All Might confirms. "Those of you who are willing to go again as Young Aihara's partner, please step forward."

Not many step forward at all, even those who were part of the losing teams, _all because they don't want to work with Hotaru._ The only ones who step forward are Mineta, Aoyama, Ashido, Ojiro, and Hagakure.

"Young Aihara," All Might brings his hands onto her shoulders when he moves behind her. "Who do you want to team up with?"

Hotaru's eyes glide over all of her classmates that are available for her to choose from. _Why is she always the odd ball?_ Well, whatever. She's grateful for this opportunity. There is only one person she wants to team up with.

"Mineta-kun." She points at the small boy. "Will you be my partner?"

"Yes!" Mineta screeches with blood shooting out of his nostrils.

He runs over to her instantly. Nearly everyone looks at him in disgust and looks at her like she's crazy for choosing him as a partner. Perhaps she is, but she thinks his quirk is handy, and strangely she feels the most comfortable working with him. _...Yes, she's crazy._

"Alright!" All Might gives a thumbs up. "Now, who's willing to go against these two?"

Hotaru doesn't expect anyone to volunteer, but someone does instantly. They step forward the moment All Might asked that single question. She shouldn't be so surprised that it was _him_ of all people, but she is. His eyes glare into hers and the air in the room grows thick with tension.

"I will." Shoto declares.

She stares at him expressionlessly. He looks so tenacious standing there almost like he's been waiting forever for the chance to fight against her. She turns so she's facing him fully. He's not the only one who's been waiting for this moment. She didn't spend all these years training for no reason at all.

"I'll go too." A low and dangerous voice growls from the back. Bakugo steps forward, his livid expression making Mineta cower behind her. "I'll crush you all!"

Hotaru then takes a moment to stare at Bakugo as well. Things have just got very interesting. A hateful Shoto has volunteered to go against her in battle along with a bitter Bakugo. Her and Mineta against the two people who hold what she thinks as easily some of the most powerful quirks in class. She smiles nonchalantly, looking away from her two opponents in amusement.

"Good luck." She says to them. Bakugo's eye twitches and his teeth bare, and Shoto's eyes narrow into a glare more intense while his fingers curl.

"W-Wait, wait, wait!" Mineta yells in horror, bringing his hands in front of him fearfully. "I-I don't want to do this anymore!"

"Come on, Mineta-kun. We can do this." Hotaru looks over her shoulder at him with a smile. She holds her hand out to him. "I know we can. I wouldn't have picked you if I didn't think we could win together."

Mineta stares at her in awe, his eyes sparkling as her smile sucks him into a trance. He slowly puts his hand in hers while his cheeks gradually darken. _She really is his soulmate._ Drool starts to drip down his chin.

"I'll follow you anywhere… Taru-chan."

"...This was supposed to be a high-five." She mutters and pulls her hand away in disgust.

Meanwhile, All Might stands in the back corner of the room with his back to everyone. His form trembles and he brings his fist in front of him dramatically at the situation he just put himself in regarding the next and final exercise of the day.

It's evident Young Aihara and Todoroki have some kind of intense history with each other, and Young Bakugo is outraged from his loss and his pride has been severely beaten. Why does he get the feeling that this round is going to be even worse than the first? He could have another pair go against Young Aihara, but his time is running very short.

"...Crap!" He whisper shouts.

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Tension Rising

❤•○●○•❤

"I went through hell because of you..." Hotaru whispers, her body pinned against the wall by thick and biting shards of ice. "And now you're forcing me to go through that again. Really, Todoroki-san..." Her lips curve upwards. "You're not making this easy at all."

"If you were expecting me to go easy on you, you're even more dense than you were back then."

"...And if you thought you had me cornered right now, you're even more laughable than you were back then. Show me your tears," Her ducked head rises and her body glows as she grins viciously. "Shoto Todoroki!"


	10. Tension Rising

**AugustRrush:** Thank you times a hundred! I hope you enjoy this chapter. ❤

 **Oblivious IJ:** "Hotaru Shippuden," haha! Midnight may or may not have been involved in her suit design... guess we'll have to stay tuned to find out for sure! And yes, shaking my head in disappointment at the pervy grape, and shaking my fist at the icy Shoto. o(╥﹏╥)o

 **LadyAmazon:** I agree 100%! Go, Aihara! ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

 **kaycblu:** Thank you so much! That means a lot to me, seriously! It wasn't easy to adapt to a writing style, as it literally took me a few years, so I'm happy you like it! I'll continue to try my best~!

 **bbymojo:** Ah~! Really? That makes me so happy to provoke such reactions. Sometimes when I'm writing I have to stop and laugh, or go like "omg," almost like I'm the reader, lol. And yes, Shoto's too cool for his own good. ╥_╥ I wonder when he'll loosen up? Hehe~ ❤

 **Vedahzii:** Thank you! I'm happy you like Hotaru, honestly I was worried about her not being liked. D: But hearing you like her along with others brings me relief. And aaahhh, errors (ノ_・。) (╯︵╰,). So sorry about that. I'm straight up and honestly a terrible proof reader. Mistakes always slip past me in all of my stories. I definitely don't have a beta reader and should probably find one since.. I suck at finding errors. I'll look into doing that, and also go back and re-read to try and correct things! I'll take your 8/10 gladly, and your OC makes me curious. c: I will look into him/her when I have the chance, if you don't mind! :D

 **Ali D:** Thank you~! I'm so happy you're loving this story! Yes, yes, I miss the times where they would feed the fish together. ❤ And I feel bad for Hotaru too. ;( Hopefully things will get better between the two of them! And ooo "Sky High," I never watched it but it sounds interesting :o! I'll look into that!

 **Guest:** Thank you, thank you, thank you~! Here's an update for you. ❤

•

 **Thank you so much, everyone!**

 **For reviewing, adding this story to your favorites, following, and most importantly reading!**

 **I'm sorry for the long wait, this semester was nothing but boatloads of work, and most definitely my most stressful semester yet. I also been trying to update my other stories as well, so that's to blame too.**

 **But, I worked really hard and just wrapped up my last final today, so I'm really happy about that.**

 **This chapter wasn't what I originally envisioned. Well, maybe it is in some ways. It's one thing knowing what you want to happen, but a complete challenge writing things leading up to the events, at least I think. xD**

 **Well, anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I'm sure there are errors somewhere, and I apologize in advance. I'll re-read this entire story to try and fix things very soon.**

 **Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Tension Rising

❤•○●○•❤

Hotaru sits on the bench just outside of the building her and Mineta are about to infiltrate. They have been assigned the role of the heroes, while Shoto and Bakugo have the role of the villains. She was really hoping to get the villain role, but this is fine too.

Her legs are crossed, and she leans forward slightly as she looks over the floor plans that were provided to them. As she reads, her other hand not holding the paper plays with the chains that reside on her outer thighs. She's not sure why, but she's always liked the feel of cold metal.

The building is five stories high, having the typical layout of an apartment complex. Stairwells are the pathway leading to each floor, no elevators. The layout almost reminds her of the run-down apartment she used to live in long ago.

Tearing her eyes away from the paper, she looks up at the building before her. It's taller than it is wide, and there are plenty of windows arranged uniformly in its structure. This building is no different than any other she set foot in before. She walked through many buildings like this to perform atrocious acts. This exercise isn't anything new to her. She's been through this countless times.

"You do remember the plan, right Mineta-kun?" She asks, looking over at him. He's trembling intensely.

"Taru-chan…" He begins as he grows pale. "I don't know about this anymore. Todoroki is going to freeze us while Bakugo blows us up! We're outmatched! This was a mistake! I unvolunteer—!"

"Calm down, Mineta-kun." Hotaru's lips curve upwards lazily. "I told you we can win this." She points at her earpiece. "Just stick to the plan and communicate often and this will be easy."

"How are you not the slightest bit worried?!" He jabs a finger at her. "Didn't you see Todoroki freeze the entire building and Bakugo blow a hole right through it?!"

"I did." She moves his jabbing finger aside. "But, we don't have to worry about any of those things."

Mineta is quiet as he stares at her calm face. Suddenly, tears gather in his eyes and he becomes distorted as he screeches in a panicked frenzy, waving his arms everywhere. Her expression gradually dulls.

"I should've gone pee first—!"

"Stop yelling. You're giving me a headache." She sighs, standing up.

She stretches her arms behind her back and lets out a breath. Earlier she was so tired, but now she's feeling fired up and ready to get started. She raises her hand above her face, blocking out the sun trying to smolder her eyes.

"We have the advantage because we've seen them and everyone else perform already." She begins. "Also, haven't you noticed that the weapon is always on the top floor? I'm sure it's the same this time around too. It would make no sense for it to be on a lower floor where it's easy to get to. Say, those balls on your head can stick to anything, right?"

"...Balls?" He repeats with a blush, and she glares intensely which makes him recoil. "No, no, no, no! I-I mean, yes!"

"Then this really should be easy if you just do what I told you to do." She brings her hands to her hips and faces him. "All you need to do is scale the outside of the building."

"B-but, all by myself?!" He frets, terrified at the chance of running into either Todoroki or Bakugo while being alone.

"Are you not comfortable with that?" She blinks, her lips pursing. "I was planning on distracting them, so you wouldn't have to worry about fighting, and so you could retrieve the weapon easily without any complications."

"By yourself?!" He gapes, and she tilts her head.

"Well, if you want to come with me you can. We can plow right through them. It's up to you."

He doesn't like either of the options she has given him, but he doesn't have any better ideas. Her quirk is strong but so is theirs, and he knows he doesn't stand a chance against their opponents. Is it really alright to leave her to fight those two all by herself, though? Hotaru smiles at the obvious turmoil on his face.

"It'll be fine either way." She reassures him, smirking to herself when Mineta pales at her next honest claim. "The truth is, I've done this so many times before."

"What?!"

"We will now start the final person-to-person combat training!" All Might's voice suddenly exclaims from the intercom, preventing Hotaru from replying to the small boy. "Start!"

Hotaru approaches the open door leading inside with a hesitant Mineta following behind, but she does not enter. She comes to an abrupt halt in front of it and Mineta barely stops himself from bumping into her. Her silvery eyes stare into the dark interior of the building and she crosses her arms over her chest.

"We're going to wait right here for a minute." She informs Mineta, making him gaze at her unsurely.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Taru-chan? This is a timed exercise. What if we run out of time? W-what if they find us?" He stammers out nervously, noticing despite his words her form is completely relaxed. "Shouldn't we hide at least—?"

"Don't underestimate a villain, Mineta-kun." She smoothly cuts him off.

Her eyes continue to stare inside the building to detect any movement. Although she can see why Mineta thinks them standing out here in the open is reckless, it's also necessary.

It took Shoto less than a minute from the start of his previous round to freeze the entire building, and even less than that for Bakugo to take action against Midoriya. Waiting like this is essential.

If she doesn't see a raging Bakugo within this short minute, she knows he's being more level headed in order to redeem himself from his loss. After seeing his distraught face from his loss, it's safe to say he will be much more composed than before. She's waiting like this just to be sure, but she's not waiting for that alone. Shoto's ice is something else she's waiting for.

He froze the entire building because he knew his opponents were inside. She doesn't think he would freeze the building without knowing if they are inside or not. It would make no sense for him to do that because her lightning can just simply melt his ice. If he does do that, however, that reveals some vital information— _that he doesn't know their location._

She counts to sixty in her head before uncrossing her arms. There is no ice and no explosions or movements of any kind. She seems to be right in her speculations so far, but she won't know for sure until she steps inside.

"Let's go." She waves to Mineta, a gesture that's clearing telling him to follow along. He does.

It's quiet as they enter the building, and the only sound that can be heard are their own footsteps. Mineta is walking extremely close to her, for once not for his own perverted desires. He's actually quite nervous. Even though there is lighting in here it's extremely dim, practically doing nothing. Hotaru comes to a stop in her walk.

The temperature suddenly drops to extremely low digits, _negative digits._ Ice starts to coat the building and head towards them rapidly. Mineta screeches while Hotaru's eyes narrow the tiniest bit. The timing of this attack is too perfect.

"So, they really can see us." She murmurs to herself and places herself directly in front of Mineta. "Stay still, Mineta-kun. If you don't you'll get shocked or frozen solid."

He complies to her words instantly with no questions asked. Hotaru generates lightning around her form and extends it outwards. The heat from her lightning counters Shoto's ice before it comes in contact with either of them. The frigid solid melts into steaming water before evaporating, flooding the hall they are in with steam.

Hotaru's eyes widen when her costume suddenly feels cool. It's not a nipping coldness but relaxing like sitting in front of an air conditioner vent in a hot room or being caressed by a cool breeze on a warm spring day.

She looks down at her costume and her lips part, seeing the electricity she's generating is making those transparent lightning patterns glow cyan. It's like she's a walking thundercloud. She experiments briefly.

Whenever she uses her quirk, or simply channels it into the costume, it causes the patterns to glow the same color as her lightning, somehow powering it to regulate her own body temperature. She slowly begins to smile at how handy this is. Now it'll take much longer for her to overheat.

Nevertheless, she shouldn't be spending this time ogling over her costume. The building is now frozen solid, and it only happened when they entered it.

"Alright. This could mean a few things." Hotaru begins, turning to the boy behind her. "The most logical thing is that they know exactly where we are. In other words, they can see us. They were keeping tabs on us from either one of the windows in the front of the building, or one of them is standing further in the shadows and watching us right now. I find the latter unlikely, though. If that were the case, we would've been hit with a direct attack."

Mineta stares at her with a slightly opened mouth, amazed by her speculations. Why she's so relaxed and naturally able to pick up these hints and clues, it's clear she's speaking from experience. He gulps. _She really has done this before._

"Either way, they know we're inside." She looks over her shoulder to check for any approaching figures. "One of them is probably heading here right now and I'm betting it's Todoroki-san. So then," She looks back at him. "Have you decided what you want to do?"

Mineta opens his mouth to answer her, but his eyes are suddenly drawn down the hall just to their left. He wails, and she turns with a gasp just in time to see ice plowing right towards them. No, not them. She's wrong. _It's plowing just towards her._ The attack is too fast and strong, and she has no choice but to let it make contact with her.

The dangerously cold ice rams into her body, and she's sent flying back into the concrete wall. She gasps in pain at the impact. She's momentarily stunned, and the air is knocked out of her. Her eyelids clamp together, and she draws in a painful breath. Her knees buckle, but before she can hit the ground, the ice pins her mercilessly against the wall.

The cold makes her shiver instantly, and she can already feel it slowly beginning to eat away at her cells. She's felt this ice before, but it feels much different this time around. Instead of the gentle caress of it that reminded her of snow, it's now like a raging ice storm meant to wreak havoc. _It hurts._

Her eyes slowly crack open to see Shoto walking out of the shadows. The expression he wears is repulsive and his eyes gaze at her with nothing but hate. As he grows closers, Mineta's wails grow more faint. Hotaru looks over at him, gawking when she sees him running for his life towards the exit.

"I'm sorry, Taru-chan!" He cries waterfall tears. "I can't do this! It's too much!"

"Mineta-kun?!" She calls after him only to get no response.

He runs outside without hesitation and shows no sign of turning around. He leaves behind a trail of tears and she stares after him until he's no longer in sight. Is he seriously that terrified of going against their opponents? Some hero he is.

Shoto comes to a stop in front of her, making her turn her attention back to him. Her silvery eyes stare into his. She can only keep her eyes locked with his for a short amount of time before the hate in them makes her look away. Her head ducks slightly and she tries to move.

"I wouldn't move if I were you." He tells her, making her go still. "You can if you want, but your skin will be torn off."

"...This ice is that cold?" She mutters in question. Honestly, she didn't know that her skin getting torn off was possible. In a way, she's kind of appreciative of that warning even though she detests his tone. "That's really impressive. But, are you aware of how hot lightning is?"

She starts to generate lightning around her form to heat up her body and the air. Her body emits a faint glow and steam starts to rise, and he counters by coating her with even more ice. He's working faster than she can melt it. Her teeth grit and she glares at him.

"The difference in our ability is too great." He states as a matter of fact, making her lips part. "Give up. Not just in this battle trail, but whatever it is you're trying to do."

She stares at him wide-eyed before slowly lowering her head. Her hair falls over her face and casts a shadow. This demanding and hateful tone of his is really starting to get to her. She lets out a breath that escapes in a cloud due to the frigid air.

"I cannot do that." She asserts, lowering her eyelids.

"Then I'll just force you to."

"You think you can?"

At her sarcastic tone, the ice around her grows thicker and she gasps heavily, hissing in pain. She cannot bear being held captive in this cold any longer, but more importantly she can no longer put up with Shoto. Rage starts to build up with her. She's slipping again.

"Who do you think you are? Telling me what to do… thinking you can stop me so easily… it's really annoying, you know." She whispers. "I went through hell because of you, and now you're forcing me to go through that again. Really, Todoroki-san… you're not making this easy at all."

"If you were expecting me to go easy on you, you're even more dense than you were back then."

Something in her snaps at his words. _Dense?_ Her body is no longer trembling just from the cold. He really struck a nerve with that one. He may as well be right though, _but it still pisses her off._

"...And if you thought you had me cornered right now, you're even more laughable than you were back then. Show me your tears," Her ducked head rises and her body glows as she grins viciously. "Shoto Todoroki!"

The ice around her bursts into countless shards with a boom. Shoto's eyes enlarge and he brings his hands up to shield himself. Thick steam is clouding his vision and puddles of water take form. Sweat forms on his face from the sudden heat, and when the steam clears he sees her standing before him.

Blue lightning is sparking around her form, and her costume makes her look even more like a thunderstorm itself. Her strands of dark hair mimic the shape of lightning bolts, and her glowing cyan eyes are locked with his. There is neither a smirk or frown on her face. Her lips are pressed together in a straight line, but her eyes are imposing. She slides her right foot forward before sprinting towards him with intensified speed.

He promptly sends waves of ice her way and she leaps. Surprise crosses his features when she jumps from wall to wall and avoids his attack. Her form passes over his head and lands right behind him. They are back to back. Just as he starts to turn around she attacks before he can do anything. He staggers literally a single foot forward from a weak shove. An imaginary cricket chirps.

Hotaru's cheeks gradually turn a glowing red and she looks to the ground in embarrassment. She thought she would be able to send him crashing into the wall like he did to her, but… that was a stupid thought. Well, this is a major disappointment on her part. Why did she even try that? Even she knows she's as weak as can be.

"...Is she messing with him or was that a real push?" Kirishima questions from the monitor room, sheepish sweat gliding down his face.

"...Good question." Tokoyami states.

Hotaru's embarrassed expression vanishes when Shoto turns around with the most heated expression yet. Her jaw locks and she takes a backwards step when ice erupts from beneath his right foot and rushes towards her.

With a grunt, she springs backwards while using her lightning to heighten her movements. She's airborne from her jump and she twists her body in a semicircle, kicking her legs out and shooting lightning bolts at the rapidly approaching icy wall. The blue bolts make the ice rupture and shards fly. When she lands safely on the ground, she turns and runs down a different hall.

Fighting him head on isn't an option. Not only is she too weak physically, but all of the ice he's using is taking up most of the hall and compromising her mobility. She can melt it but only if she uses a high voltage, and honestly, she spent more energy than she intended to earlier escape from his clutches. His ice is just as cold as her lightning is hot. Its equal powers clashing.

She winces suddenly and raises her hand in front of her. The skin on her fingers is red and raw, and tiny streams of blood flow down them. He wasn't kidding when he claimed that if she moved her skin would be torn off. _To think that the person she used to call her hero spilled some of her blood._

It's partly her fault for moving despite his warning. Her judgement was poor when she used her lightning to escape, in other words she moved before she fully disintegrated it. Regardless, he's still the main cause of it. Her painfully numb fingers curl tightly, and her expression grows dark.

She should've zapped him until he screamed and cried instead of shoving him. _Yes, she should have._ Honestly, that was her original plan to do just that, but she didn't. _Why didn't she?_ Aizawa's voice suddenly floods into her head. Oh, that's right. _Remorse._

The sound of crystallizing ice makes her look over her shoulder, and she lets out a surprised sound at Shoto rapidly surfing towards her on his own ice. That technique makes her wonder how many more he has hidden away, and also shows her just how formidable he is. Those eyes of his that look so much like Endeavor's… _they're desperate to take her down._

She looks back ahead narrowed eyes. The blue sparks around her body intensify. Lightning travels through her muscles and compels them to perform at beyond their original capability. Her eyes glow and she picks up her speed. Each step she takes melts the thin ice below her in an instant. It's only when she turns down a different hallway and out of Shoto's sight when she brings her hand over her earpiece to speak.

"Please tell me you're scaling the building, Mineta-kun."

"Of course, I am, Taru-chan." His voice speaks into her ear to reply instantly.

Although there is a quiver in his voice that gives away how nervous he is, she smiles slightly at how he's pulling through. Her simple smile fades instantly and she blanches when she sees one of his purple balls stuck to a window at the end of the hall. Does he lack common sense? He's ruining the plan, practically writing out that he actually didn't forfeit. Her eyelid twitches and she hurries towards it.

"Stop being so obvious!" She whisper-shouts, shooting lightning through the window and making it shatter along with causing the purple ball to fall. Mineta who is only a couple feet above the window screams at the lightning bolt breaking through the glass. "Be quiet—!"

She's cut off by her own scream when she's suddenly sent flying out the window. For a brief moment she sees stars and the air rushing at her face makes her eyes water. When her body rams into a light pole, the world is suddenly painted black and white. Like out of a cartoon she remains seemingly glued to the metal pole before falling backwards with swirls in her eyes. Her entire being is rattling.

The blue sky above her along with the few clouds is blurry. She slowly rolls onto her hands and knees with quivering limbs, drawing in multiple deep breaths to try and restore the air that was knocked out of her. Her silver eyes look back towards the building and at the thick ice that is responsible for sending her relentlessly all the way out here.

"Why…?" She bites out, her fingernails scraping against the concrete as she forms fists.

She understands his hostility. It's only natural, _but hasn't he noticed?_ She could've shocked him multiple times, she could've chosen to fight him instead of running away, she could've even won this entire thing by now. He has to have noticed these things, _or does he just hate her that much?_

With bared teeth, she sits up on her knees and glares intensely at the ice she knows Shoto is just behind. A cloud passing over the sun casts a shadow on her form, and the cool breeze ruffles up her messy hair. Her fingernails dig into her palms as her chest grows tight, feeling something she hasn't felt in a while.

It's as if she's caught in a net, _or a better term would be caught between two worlds_. Her eyelids clamp together, and she shakes her head, slowly rising onto her feet. This feeling, why did it return? The path she laid out before her doesn't lead to either of those worlds, so why is she suddenly wavering? _It's because of him._ Everything is because of Shoto Todoroki. It has always been that way.

For him to be so icy cold, mercilessly attacking her when all he needs to do is use the capture tape, and that unbearable amount of hatred in his eyes, it makes her blood boil. Is he merely just using this training to inflict pain on her? Does her pain bring him satisfaction? Come to think of it, he already won once and didn't need to go through this again. She recalls how he claimed the difference of their ability is too great.

"You're right, Sho." She whispers, taking slow and heavy steps back towards the building while her eyes glow bright. "The difference in our ability is very great. Starting now, you won't touch me again."

Her eyelids lower once more as she deeply and slowly inhales. Before this combat training started she already decided she would win, but now it's different. She's not going to simply win, she's going to give him the most humiliating defeat even if it means spending every bit of energy she has.

Pressing her fist against the ice coated building, her eyes slowly open. _She will win_ , and not because she wants to, but rather she has to. Winning this is essential to her plan. She lowers her fist. It's time to get serious. She's been a little too relaxed. Looking up, she sees Mineta. He hasn't climbed very high at all, which is disappointing.

"T-Taru-chan…?" He stutters out, gulping at her hollow expression that is somehow more frightening than her villainous one.

"Can I be honest with you, Mineta-kun?" She asks, and his jaw goes slightly slack. With how she's gazing at him with longing eyes, he naturally nods.

"I came here for something, but now that I'm here that something has made me realize how senseless it really is, and how impotent I am when it comes to other small things I want to achieve. I really don't know what else to do, and I don't even think there is anything else I can do." She looks away from him, suddenly appearing sad. "So, I'm done."

"We're forfeiting?!" Mineta beams in excitement, sulking when she shakes her head in objection.

"No. I'm going to do what I've should've done from the start." She smiles a little wistfully, heading back towards the front entry. "This is selfish of me, but would you mind staying out here?"

"Wha?!" He calls after her only to be ignored, however, she does whisper incomprehensibly under her breath.

All Might's natural grin falters at the dark expression on Hotaru's face displayed on the monitor, but it fades entirely at her spoken words. Even though she was not pressing the button on her earpiece to speak into it, his authority allows him to hear every word uttered regardless. He lowers the handheld transceiver in his hand.

"So, that's what it is… Young Aihara."

•○●○•

Shoto's eyes narrow when Hotaru rather casually comes walking through the front entry doors once again. Aside from her entire form being shrouded in dazzling blue sparks, her stormy costume is decorated in dust and scratches from his ice attacks. Her glowing eyes are locked onto his, menacing and resolute, _looking just like her father's._

Frost starts to form on his right side, and his breath becomes clouded as the temperature lowers. It's obvious he's preparing an ice attack, however Hotaru keeps on walking forward like she's simply taking a stroll in the park. His jaw locks and he sends icy spikes towards her.

The ice closes in on her in an instant, but steam fills the hallway just as promptly along with a crack of thunder. His vision is clouded by the haze, and he instinctively squints at the sudden brightness from her quirk. Before he can even comprehend what actions to take next, she's suddenly behind him, _then his wrists are bound._

He remains frozen with widened eyes, feeling her trembling fingers slowly unwind from his wrists and leaving the capture tape behind. That's when he realizes she's nothing like before. She takes a couple backwards steps, speaking in a hollow voice.

"The difference in our ability is far too great." She begins, and he looks over his shoulder at her with blazing eyes. "You are the last person who will ever stand in my way, Shoto Todoroki."

He looks away from her with a "tsk," and the cold air grows thick at the anger rolling off of him. She takes a single step back, wincing as static leftover from her lightning tickles her flesh. Moving so fast like that to get behind him so quickly, and the high voltage she has used to melt the ice in an instant left her exhausted.

She wasn't as careless as last time using her speed enhancing technique so severely, but she wasn't exactly careful either. Her lack of sleep is definitely catching up with her along with everything else.

"You're not the only one who reminisces that day," She whispers heavily, looking to the ground. "I just want you to know that."

Silence hovers between them after that, and she turns to start heading deeper into the building only to stop in her tracks. His voice reaches out to her and her eyes enlarge while the organ in her chest drops into the pit of her stomach.

"I don't care about that day like you do. That day you got what you deserved, and now you're here for some sort of retribution that you can't achieve." He says in a dangerously low voice, and she slowly turns around, paling at his hateful eyes. "Am I right? You're here to avenge your old man."

"...What I deserved?" Her voice quivers and she shakes her head desperately, sweat trickling down her face. "...I-I'm not here to—"

"Then why are you here, _villain?_ "

 _She can't say._

That's always the answer to that question, but it's more crucial when he's the one to ask. If she told him, or if he even found out the reasoning of her being here, what would he do? Would he laugh? Make fun of her even? Tell her to wake up from this pointless fantasy? In the end, the answer to these questions doesn't matter. She can't tell him either way, so she'll never know.

"...I can't say." She whispers, and he looks away from her in disgust.

The disgust grew from the seed of his hatred, and she knows she was the one to plant that very seed. Her muscles grow tight and she bites down harshly on her lower lip, drawing blood. Just like she planted a seed, he also did the same for her but he's completely blind to it. It's frustrating, however at this point she prefers just that. The seed he planted is starting to wilt.

She turns so her back is to him, keeping any other words wanting to escape her mouth trapped within by biting down onto her thumb as she walks. Her vision oddly grows blurry and her eyelids clamp together as a result.

"Oi, Lightning Bastard!"

Hotaru's eyes snap open just in time to see Bakugo emerging from the hall beside her. His gauntlet is loaded and glowing, _and it's aiming right at her_. She gasps and generates lightning within her own body, hearing All Might yell.

"Young Bakugo, don't!"

Unsurprisingly, Bakugo doesn't listen. He releases that powerful blast and it barrels towards her. She's careless again when she enhances her reflexes and speed to dodge, but she's acting on pure survival instinct. The blast misses her barely, but something strikes her as strange about it. It came out slower than the time he used it against Midoriya, and she finds out too late as to why that is.

In the end it was a diversion, and he uses it to swing with his right arm and send her roughly onto the ground with a blast from his palm. All air is knocked from her lungs once again, and something in her snaps. It's not a bone that snaps or a tearing of a ligament, no… _not at all._ Any composure she has left shatters away.

She finds herself thinking of not her plan, _but her father's plan._ His plan is the whole reason she came here, and she came here because of one thing. She has one role to play.

" _Don't forget that day, Taru."_

"Why are you down here?" Shoto's voice is just barely picked up by her.

"You were taking too damn long!" Bakugo grins almost like a villain and tiny explosions emit from his palms. He glares at Shoto. "You said you had the Lightning Bastard held back, but it looks like she was the one who had you—"

"Oh? Is that what Todoroki-san told you?" She questions, slowly pushing herself up. The taste of blood coats her tongue and she quivers. "Sorry, but as you can see…" She straightens up and faces Bakugo, wiping at her lip. "I'm as free as a lightning bug. And now," She outstretches her hand. "I'll secure the weapon from you with ease."

"Heh," He grins viciously at her cocky tone, facing her fully like a predator. "Don't think for a second this will be easy! I'll kill you!"

"You should be careful, or you'll be the one getting killed."

Bakugo's fingers curl into tight fists and a shadow is cast over his face. His form trembles angrily and his quirk flares. Losing to Deku of all people… and being mocked by this cocky villain… it makes sends him over the edge.

"Don't underestimate me, you scum!" He propels himself towards her with his quirk. "Die!"

Hotaru remains in the same spot and waits for him to grow closer. When he's within range and swings with his right arm. She ducks under it and her hand presses against his chest. He draws in a sharp breath when her body glows. As soon as her hand makes contact with him, lightning flows into his body.

Blue illuminates the hall, and Bakugo's livid curses and yells echo throughout. His entire form is distorted and occasionally his skeleton shines through. Hotaru's eyes stay shut approximately the whole time, all because she doesn't want to see what kind of vile expression is on Shoto's face.

Her lightning fades and leaves Bakugo momentarily stunned. However, he's able to move around more than other people she has shocked like this, and she can only assume it's because of his strong will. It's impressive, but right now it's only a nuisance to her. So, she doesn't end her assailment just yet.

She shrouds herself in blue and her muscles tingle. Turning on the sole of her foot, she moves in a semi-circle and raises her leg to land a swift kick against Bakugo's side. This time around she's not holding back and using her quirk fully, and as a result his form slams into the wall.

"No," Hotaru's eyes crack open to stare icily. "Don't _you_ underestimate me."

Bakugo raises his arm and aims his gauntlet at her, recovering almost instantly. Her eyes enlarge in disbelief and she takes a step back when his gauntlet glows. He's using the one opposite from what he used earlier, and this one is glowing much more brightly than the other. This time, the blast is too wide to dodge, and she has absolutely no way to counter.

She hears All Might yell for him to stop for the second time just as she's sent flying through the brick wall and out beneath the blue sky. Her body hits that same pole from earlier and she's briefly blinded with pain. She topples forward, landing on her hands and knees as she quivers all over.

Her costume bears plenty of scratches and is covered in soot from her blast, and some debris from the wall she was just sent mercilessly through. She trembles intensely, feeling bruises forming instantly. To be tossed around like this… to be overpowered… to suffer from injuries caused by another… _pisses her off._ It gets to her like nothing else.

Although she's aching all over and on the verge of passing out from fatigue, she rises onto her feet. She wavers and nearly falls over, but by some miracle she's able to remain standing. Her eyes that were shut in pain slowly open and stare ahead at the fresh hole in the wall, seeing Bakugo and an unbound Shoto standing there. They both look ready to pounce her.

Is freeing someone who was captured even allowed? She doesn't know, and she doesn't care anymore. All she can think about is how angry she is. Everything else is cast aside, _including her plan._

"Alright then," She spits out, forming rigid fists with her hands. "You both want to be heroes, right? Let's see how you fare against a real-life villain!"

Hotaru raises her hand skywards, loud thunder cracking to life as blue electricity gathers in her fingertips. The streetlight just behind her flickers, and her eyes along with her entire form glows. Her fingers mimic the shape of a gun and she aims right at the two of them.

The strike she's about to unleash will be wide enough to hit them both simultaneously, and strong enough to injure them greatly. The heat from her sparks cracks the concrete below her. Shoto takes a single step forward, getting his ice ready while Bakugo readies his explosions.

Before she unleashes her attack, Shoto creates a protective wall of ice that shields them from her sight, and All Might's voice addresses her instantly after that. She's sure he's just going to order her to stop her actions, and she's right. However, the words he uses catches her off guard while hitting her deep.

"Young Aihara, you cannot accomplish your goal like this."

Her body ices over and she draws in a sharp breath. How would he know about her goal? He couldn't know a thing about it. Realization dawns on her. Unless, when she has whispered earlier… _did he hear her…?_ She lowers her hand.

"...How disappointing." She murmurs to herself, taking backwards steps.

•○●○•

Although thunder boomed no lightning flashes. Instead, it's unusually quiet like the calm before a storm. Shoto's eyes narrow cautiously and he moves to peak around his protective wall of ice just as Bakugo blows it into pieces.

"What are you doing?!" Shoto all but yells at him in disapproval. Bakugo glares.

"Shut up, Ice Bastard! I can take her on myself!"

After that, the two of them look ahead. Now that Shoto's ice is gone, Hotaru is back in their line of sight. Her eyes are shut, and her head is angled somewhat towards the ground. Shoto's eyes widen a notch when he sees her hands held up in surrender. Bakugo grins viciously.

"Huh?" He drags out, taking intimidating steps forward. "After all that talk, you're giving up?!"

Hotaru's eyes open to stare at Bakugo's approaching form. Brief and vibrant explosions flicker in his palms, giving away the impression that he plans to attack her even though she's surrendering. Her lips part and she lets a heavy breath escape them.

"Yeah. Because," Her tired arms drop to her sides. "Beating you both now would be pointless. Win or lose, it doesn't matter."

"What?!" Bakugo roars.

Hotaru grunts when he grabs her roughly by the shoulder. His explosive palm is in her face, ready to detonate at any moment. Her teeth grit along with the locking of her jaw. This guy really is ruthless. Shoto walks up from behind him with a glare.

"Is it that upsetting to you that I'm giving up?" She questions angrily, feeling nothing but frustrated. At this point she just wants everything to be over with. "You should be grateful."

"Why would I be grateful for a half-assed win?!" He jerks her closer with a growl, his gaze bitter.

"W-What?" She stutters out, her expression morphing into one of confusion.

"If you're going to go against me, don't fucking quit! I want the satisfaction of crushing you! I'm aiming to be the next number one hero, don't make a fool out of me! You're the daughter of that bastard Lightning Beast and Two-Face, right?" He sneers, and her eyes enlarge with a tremble. "Come at me with everything you got! If you're not going to go all out, why are you even here?! Stop messing around, you damn villain! I'll kill you!"

He shoves her back, and she trips over her own two feet. She lands roughly on her bottom, but she doesn't wince or grimace. All she can do is stare ahead with wide eyes. His words replay in her head over and over. To think that Bakugo of all people would be the one to knock some sense into her. _How amusing._

Hotaru rises onto her feet shakily, still feeling fatigued and banged up from previous events. It wouldn't be surprising to her if she passes out right here and now, but she pushes on by some miracle. Or, perhaps it's because of this new resolve she feels.

Once she straightens up and meets Bakugo's eyes, a boastful and wide smirk forms on his face when she nods. She's going to fight him, and now he can have the opportunity to crush the daughter of the number one villain. _He'll be legendary._

Hotaru's fingers curl into fists and she closes her eyes briefly. She draws in a deep breath and her shoulders rise at that. She's been hesitating a lot, losing herself even. Even now, she's still unsure. Is this right, or is it wrong? Is this the right path? She doesn't know. All she knows whatever she chooses to do it always backfires. _She's such a mess_. When she shrouds herself in lightning, she re-opens her eyes. The clock is ticking.

"Just remember," She takes a step back, getting in a battle stance that resembles her father's dangerously. "You asked for this."

"Bring it, Lightning Bastard." Bakugo grins viciously, and Hotaru's silvery orbs look Shoto's way. His teeth grit together, and he wears his usual glare.

"You wanted to know why I'm here, right?" Hotaru asks him, smiling genuinely and in a way that makes the organ in his chest stutter. "I'll let my actions speak for me."

Shoto's lips part to retort in some way, but no words come out. Her eyes bear a sparkle similar to what he originally knew them as, however, that's not what prevents him from speaking. Paralysis is. All he can see is a vibrant blue as he's consumed by it. It's a heat more intense than his flames he refuses to create. _It hurts._ Judging by Bakugo's curses, he knows he's caught in the same lightning trap.

Hotaru moves past them both, not sparing them a glance. Her movements are lazy like an old cat, and she even lets out a yawn profound enough to cause salty droplets the stick to the outer corner of her eyes. She moves her hand over her face instantly afterwards, shielding those glistening tears. Her lips moves as she whispers.

"I'm surprised you haven't caught on yet… Shoroki."

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Finale

❤•○●○•❤

"I've learned so much today, actually." Hotaru murmurs, fiddling with her fingers. "But, most importantly I learned that I'm not suited for any of this."

"Meaning?" Aizawa inquires.

"Well..." She holds up two fingers, pointing at one. "Let's say this finger represents a righteous path, and the other represents an unjust and wrongful one. Neither one guarantees happiness. Which path would you take?"

"The righteous one."

"Even if it's equivalent to signing a death certificate?"

His eyes widen the tiniest bit. She said too much, and now she doesn't know what to say. He addresses her once and she doesn't react, and when he addresses her a second time she nearly laughs as she wonders—how can this unkempt hero she met a mere few days ago look at her with more care than her own father ever has?


	11. Finale

**Oblivious IJ:** I agree 100% *snickers* ≧◡≦

 **AugustRrush:** Thank youu! ❤

 **YaoiLovinKitsune:** Ah, thank you so much! So happy you're enjoying it ❤ !

 **bbymojo:** Yes, (╯︵╰,) Shoto's attitude towards her is definitely steering her in the wrong direction. Writing their interactions breaks my own heart. But, maybe things will start to get better soon? c:

 **neYophtyeWroteThisReview:** Thank you! I'm glad to hear that, as I was worried about how I did portraying her moral dilemma. (ㄒoㄒ)

 **lovelyhatter:** My heart just dropped to my knees and bounced back up, haha! Thank you so much! Words can't even describe how happy that makes me. I always worry about whether I'm keeping everyone in character or not. I'll continue to work hard on this story. ❤

 **Hinabi:** Wow, in one go ~ ?! That makes me happy! Thank you so much, and I'm extremely happy you're enjoying this story. ❤ I'm so excited for USJ and the sports festival myself. I have so many plans for those events and I can't wait to get there. I wish I could just skip right to those, haha. Hope you enjoy this chapter. ❤

•

 **I seriously can't thank everyone enough** ❤

 **Knowing there are people out there enjoying what I write makes me happy, and honestly it's the best feeling.**

 **I love writing for you.**

 **Thank you, thank you, thank you.**

 **I hope I can continue to live up to your expectations!** (◠﹏◠✿)

 **Enjoy this chapter, and if there are any errors I apologize.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Finale

❤•○●○•❤

Shoto never did mind the feel of the breeze weaving through his strands of hair. Actually, it's a comforting sensation that would often remind him of his mother's touch all those years ago. He's experiencing this feeling right now, but he can't bring himself to focus on or appreciate it due to another sensation.

Blue static pricks at his skin irritatingly, the aftermath of the lightning attack he just endured. That was easily one of the most painful things he's ever experienced. Being shocked to the point he could hardly think or move, it's infuriating. What makes it even more so is that _she_ of all people was the reasoning behind it.

She went from quirkless to someone who wields one of the most powerful quirks. It's a deadly quirk, powerful both offensively and defensively. It's a quirk of a villain. _Lightning Beast's quirk._ It suits her perfectly.

That taunting tone of hers, the way she had many chances to strike him but never did till now, it's clear to him why that is. She's toying with him like she did back then—being stupidly ignorant like before. How she brought up that day, let her lightning attack speak for her, _it's evident she's plotting revenge_. Nevertheless, regardless of the reasoning she's standing in his way and preventing him from proving his old man wrong.

He moves quickly back towards the building, Bakugo having already left in a furious frenzy. There are five minutes left which isn't a whole lot of time, but it's just enough. He won't let her win—an irrelevant villain. He's going to win to prove his old man wrong a hundred times over, while making her regret everything she's ever done.

She's not here to be a hero, she's incapable of it. She's a villain and she's here to be one, so he'll see to her defeat as a hero. Either way, she has no right to be here. Whatever she's planning, he won't allow it.

•○●○•

As Hotaru runs up the stairs with her lightning cloaked form, all she can think of his how tired she is. She's spent more energy than she even has to reach this point, and the fresh bruises decorating her skin throb. If it wasn't for an enraged Bakugo chasing behind her, and a hateful Shoto on his way, she would gladly let herself pass out. She just wants everything to be over with.

Even though she felt resolved, that has now been replaced with uncertainty. It happened almost instantly, because even now she still doesn't know what to do. All she knows is that one thing she can do is win this trail. It won't affect her negatively or positively, right? If so, she can't help but wonder what the point of her doing this even is.

She came here because of her father's plan, but little did he know she had a plan of her own. _Had._ Now, she's not so sure. She's too incapable to carry out either, _all because of Shoto Todoroki._ He's the reason behind everything. For the first time, she wishes there was someone out there she could talk to, someone that could help her.

 _Help._

That word makes her falter in her steps. The organ in her chest numbs, dropping into the deepest pit of her stomach. Actually, isn't that the answer as to why she's really here? It could be. But, if she were to tell anyone, to ask help of anyone, _they would get killed._ It's just as she told All Might.

Why is she even here anymore? Is it even because of Shoto? Perhaps it was before, but with how he is now maybe it's not anymore. _What should she do?_ Her run gradually slows down and she resists the urge to tangle her hands into her hair in frustration. She should've just given up like she planned to earlier in order to sort these things out.

Once she reaches the top step, ice coats her foot and causes her to trip. She just barely catches herself from face planting. However, the moment she uses her hands to catch herself ice coats them as well. The frigid solid is almost acting as glue, trying desperately to keep her confined.

With a heavy breath, she raises the voltage of her lightning and melts the ice. Even though she's exhausted, her body isn't showing signs of overheating at all. With this suit, and the negative temperatures inside due to Shoto's ice, it'll take an eternity for her to overheat. She hates to admit it, but this cold feels nice along with the use of her own quirk.

"Die!" Bakugo yells from behind her, throwing his explosive fist towards her. She rolls out of the way at the last second, somersaulting up onto her feet. Her eyes widen at Bakugo, not because of his vicious expression, but just him. He's the only one present.

Shoto's nowhere in sight. Where is he? Could he be a floor below them? Or, is he still outside? Still stunned from her lightning? Either way, he blindly was somehow able to catch her within an ice attack. She looks around, seeing the ice that was originally coating the building is now much thicker. _That means…_

She gasps, openly bringing her hand over her earpiece. Oddly, she feels worry and a sense of urgency. If Shoto froze the building all over again, what became of Mineta? Was he caught up in the attack?

"Mineta-kun," She speaks into the earpiece, shooting a lazy strike of lightning at Bakugo mainly just to force him back. He can tell she's not being serious about hitting him, and that makes him angrier. "Where are you?"

She doesn't receive a response, and she slowly lowers her hand while her eyes move downcast. His silence can only mean he's frozen solid somewhere. She feels bad, suddenly. Before this training even started she said he wouldn't have to worry about Bakugo or Shoto, that he could retrieve the weapon easily. She should've just had him come with her, but she was too focused on outplaying Shoto.

Deep down inside she wanted to take him on herself, so that's why she told Mineta to scale the building from outside. Not only that, she's so used to doing things by herself. She didn't even ask him if he had a plan of his own. Instead, she only told him to choose from the two she had come up with even though he wasn't comfortable with either.

She swallows thickly, and the world around her is suddenly painted black as she becomes trapped in her own contradicting thoughts. The confusion of what she should do next overwhelms her. To give up now or keep going, what should she do? Win or lose doesn't matter anymore. She knows time is short too.

Could she scope out each room to find the weapon on time? If she were in peak condition she wouldn't need to worry about passing out and whether she could do it or not. She almost laughs aloud. When is she ever in peak condition?

Fortunately for her, she's dragged out of her thoughts by Bakugo's loud yell of what seems to be his favorite word, "die." If he kept quiet, he would've hit her for sure.

He moves towards her with a surprising swiftness, using his "explosive speed" technique. The moments he closes in, he twists through the air like a tornado. It's an impressive maneuver, very so that she can't help but to be a little awestruck. However, that is not enough. He swings with his right arm once again and she ducks under it with the use of her quirk.

"Too slow." She mutters, and the muscle in his eye twitches in annoyance. Shortly after her evasion, he's forced to endure the burn of her shocks once more. As she watches him fall to the ground, there's a voice in her ear.

"Taru-chan, I found the weapon!" Mineta informs her excitedly, and she lets out a relieved breath at his seemingly unharmed voice. He sounds proud of himself, and she supposes she might as well win this thing for him at least. He's here to be a hero, after all.

"Alright," She turns with her hand over her earpiece, taking off into a run down the hall and towards the next flight of stairs. "What floor, and what side of the building?"

"It's in the front on the top floor."

"Okay," She whispers, and a crease forms in her brow. "...You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm okay, my sexy anti-hero~" He coos in delight at her worry for him. Could it be that she secretly likes him? He licks his lips.

"Mineta-kun." She says, tone serious.

"Y-Yes?" He squeaks, nervous suddenly and ready to spout apologies.

"Sorry."

"Eh? What do you mean, Taru-chan?"

She doesn't answer. It's not because she doesn't know how to explain her apology aloud, but rather because as soon as she reaches the top floor, who she's greeted with makes her come to a sudden halt. Shoto's standing at the end of the hall, seeming to have been waiting for her.

How did he get up here so quickly and before her? More importantly, how did he get up here without being seen? The moment she asks herself these questions, she comes up with the most logical answers.

He must've taken the fire escape stairs along the back of the building to reach this floor. Additionally, it's only natural he would reach this floor before herself with how she was stuck dealing with Bakugo. Speaking of him, she's sure he's on his way.

Her silver orbs meet his heterochromia ones, and her jaw slowly locks. That hatred his eyes bear always drills a hole right into her. It just keeps growing more and more intense with no signs of dying down. In all honesty, it probably never will falter. That she can now say for certain.

She draws in a sharp breath and outstretches her hand. Her fingers form the shape of a gun and sparks come to life. She doesn't have any reason to go against him anymore, and she doesn't want to. The only reason she's still in this is because of Mineta. She needs to win so his hard work scaling the building won't be in vain, and so she can make things up to him due to the fact that she's a crappy partner. This is what she decides. Shoto's eyes narrow.

Asking him to move aside would be a waste of breath and asking him to surrender would be an even bigger waste. He wouldn't comply, _because he just hates her than much._ Fighting is unavoidable, so she's going to end it quickly. All she needs to do is close the gap. Neither of them utter a word.

His ice comes raving towards her and as strong as ever. She runs forward while shattering it with her lightning and it melts almost instantly afterwards. Clouds of steam take form and she moves through it hastily. As soon as she emerges, her eyes enlarge. Shoto's gone.

"What—?" She breathes out, stopping halfway when she feels something wrapping around her wrist. _The capture tape._

She discharges her lightning in all directions and forces Shoto back, and the feel of the capture tape is gone. With clenched fists she turns around to glare, but instead her breath gets caught and she ices over at the palm in her face. Silver meets red.

"Die!" Bakugo yells, and she brings her hands in front of her instinctively when an explosion erupts.

She staggers backwards with a painful gasp, her skin getting singed and scratched. The moment she lowers her arms she's bombarded with ice and she cries out, getting rammed into the closest wall and pinned once again. Her vision blurs and her teeth grit, fighting desperately to keep her consciousness. They really aren't making this easy for her.

With a blinding flash she breaks through the icy restraints, and instantly afterwards she's forced to dodge Bakugo's explosive fist. She cartwheels backwards and as soon as she lands, more ice approaches her. She heaves out a heavy breath, melting his ice before it can make contact with her. Although she's successful in avoiding both of their attacks, she's now backed into a corner.

They have her cornered with no way out. Now, if she weren't exhausted and on the border-line of falling unconscious, barreling through the two of them would be child's play. However, that is unfortunately not the case.

"One minute!" All Might's voice informs from the intercom, and her eyelids lower. _This really is pointless_.

It pains her to admit it but going up against these two is more than she can handle right now. She can't win this fight, but there's something she can do in order to secure the win. She raises her hand to appear as if she's scratching at her ear while ducking her head, when really, she's whispering to Mineta. Once she's done whispering her last-minute plan, she looks at her two opponents.

Of course, Shoto's glaring, but her eyes widen a bit when she notices he's suffering from some frostbite. _A drawback of his quirk._ Her lips purse. Can't he counter that drawback by using his left side? Well, whatever. It really is none of her business despite how curious she is. That's one thing he made clear to her, and just one of the many things she's learned today.

She then looks to Bakugo, seeing him wearing his cocky and vicious grin. Unlike Shoto's who's remaining in the same spot, he's slowly advancing on her like a predator. Once again, she finds herself feeling bad.

"Sorry, Bakugo-kun." She says, making him halt.

"Huh?" He drags out in exasperation. She's being genuine with her apology, but it's clear he's taking it as sarcasm.

"You and Todoroki-san really have me cornered right now. So, the fight ends here." She sighs, bringing her hand over her mouth and battling a yawn. "Next time, I promise to fight you for real and when I'm not so…" She smiles a bit, scratching at her cheek sheepishly. "Clueless… I guess?"

"What are you talking about, Lightning Bastard?!" Bakugo yells.

He sure does call her a "bastard," a lot. It makes her feel like she's nothing but a sham, and she is just that. It's a suiting nickname. She smiles and waves before narrowing her eyes in concentration. Shoto and Bakugo bring their hands up to shield their eyes.

The sparks around her intensify greatly, resulting in the temperature within the hall and building to rise. Thunder rumbles. Water droplets drip from the ceiling from the melting ice and countless puddles form. The water creates a sizzling sound and bubbles, causing steam to rise and the air to distort from the intense heat. From the sudden change of temperature, any glass nearby shatters.

Hotaru leans back against the wall, every bit of her lightning fading away. She wipes sweat from her brow and sinks down until she's sitting on her bottom. That should've done it, hopefully. Right now, that's the best she could do. All she has to do now is wait and hope some more.

When Shoto lowers his arms and sees no trace of his ice left behind, his eyes widen. She was able to melt such a large amount of his ice like that the entire time? Why did she wait until now to do it?

The air within the building is nearly scorching from that insane heat she let off, and even though he hates to admit it, it's not a bad feeling that quells his frostbite. Ignoring that thought, he focuses entirely on what just happened. He can't shake the feeling that something doesn't feel right, and he finds out too late as to why that is.

"Hero team, win!" All Might's voice announces loudly, and his entire body grows painfully still in shock. Those words replay over and over in his head, and he can feel himself paling. He lost… _to her?_ He focuses on her with an ever so slightly slack jaw.

She gives a subtle smile with dismal eyes, sticking her tongue out.

•○●○•

"Todoroki-san acted rashly. He did not confirm that Mineta-san forfeited and merely assumed. Although he had planned to hold Aihara-san back himself, it also seemed as if he was acting on a personal grudge. Additionally, taking into consideration who exactly he was up against, going alone was reckless. Not only that, he failed to communicate properly with Bakugo-san, and Bakugo-san failed to communicate with him as well." Yaoyorozu explains, and all of class 1-A including All Might himself are speechless at her intelligent answer once again.

"Yes—" All Might begins only to be rendered silenced when she continues.

"They also released some high-scale attacks indoors, a foolish act as you stated earlier. Even though the damage was kept to a minimum, some damage to the building was definitely dealt. As for Aihara-san, she lacked confidence and that showed in her actions. There were many openings for her to take but she ignored them. She also lost her-self control and nearly released a fatal attack. At some points it seemed she was merely toying with her opponents, and perhaps she was if we're judging from that last minute. However, her overall plan was clever. Mineta-san did well to carry it out, despite his whining and not being so secretive about it. He retrieved the weapon safely after Aihara-san shattered all the windows on the floor, and even that was a reckless thing for her to do for obvious reasons, such as accidental damage to the weapon itself. Once again, the hero team only won because this is merely 'training.'"

The only thing that All Might can think at first as he stares at his student is— _she said more than he thought._ Shaking his head, he points at her with a blinding smile.

"That is correct! Now, as for who's the MVP—"

"Wait, where's Taru-chan?" Kaminari suddenly speaks, looking around the monitor room. Everyone else mimics him, realizing that Hotaru isn't present.

"That's strange. Wasn't she just here?" Sato mutters, then Mineta wails in panic.

"Taru-chan?! Where are you?!"

Shoto stands in the back of the room, ignoring his classmates and not the slightest bit concerned at where Hotaru could be. He's too lost in his own thoughts. His fingers are curled into tight fists.

Everything Yaoyorozu said was correct and he has nothing else to add on. He lost, _to her of all people._ This loss is a strangling sensation. She beat him, completely toyed with him the whole time. She wasn't using her full strength, but that's not why he lost. His anger overwhelmed him.

Seeing her again, her being here of all places, everything that revolves around her, just her alone made the flame of hatred he has towards her grow. If he's being honest, he didn't think he would ever see her again and he didn't care to. Now that she's here, the unpleasant past and history he has with her has re-emerged. How can he prove his old man wrong when she's here and clouding his mind? He doesn't understand her.

 _Clueless… what did she mean by that?_

Bakugo bites down harshly on his lower lip, his arms trembling from his rigid fists. He lost for the second time today. First to Deku, and now to a villain. He was supposed to redeem himself, to rise to the top and crush everybody. She was the worthiest opponent to do just that, so he jumped on the opportunity to go against her even though there was tugging sensation in the back of his mind that made him think— _I can't beat her._

That's the second time he thought that today, because watching Shoto made him think the exact same thing. How can he be number one when there are people more powerful than him? He's always been the most powerful, _so why…?!_

"Damn it…!" He curses.

•○●○•

"Oh dear," Recovery Girl frowns at Hotaru's appearance when she enters nurse's office. "You got quite banged up, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Hotaru murmurs. "But, it's completely my fault."

Hotaru moves over to the cushioned rolling chair next to the old woman at her command, plopping down in it tiredly while running her fingers through her messy hair. Her eyelids lower and she lets out a painful breath, every muscle in her and bruise on her throbbing. Yes, this is completely her fault. This is what she gets for being so indecisive.

She has changed out of her hero costume before coming here. Currently, she's dressed in her gym uniform. She would've changed back into the standard U.A. uniform if it wasn't for the chills she has. Even though her lightning kept her warm, Shoto's ice still seems to have got the job done in chilling her to the core. She has no right to complain, especially when she looks over at the bed Midoriya is resting in.

The boy is out cold, both of his arms bruised severely and with an IV running into one of them. Her lips downturn and she looks to the ground. He really gave it is all despite knowing the consequences, gave it all because he knows what he wants, _and then there's herself._

She knows the consequences, yet she hesitates. She thought she knew what she wanted but now she's not so sure. Her carefully thought out plan, this path she was going down, everything is falling apart. She's stuck at a dead end and now there's only two ways to go to escape it. But, which way should she go?

"...Kiss~!" Recovery Girl's sing-song voice brings her out of her thoughts, then she feels a pair of lips pressing against her cheek.

Her body goes deathly still, her entire form growing as white as a sheet. She looks over, seeing Recovery Girl's abnormally stretch lips withdrawing. Oh, how badly she wants to shock that old woman for doing something so bold, how badly she wants to yell at her even, but she can't do either of those things. Instantly after that kiss, her vision blurs and occasionally flashes black.

"Wh-what did you do…?" Hotaru groans, bringing her hand to her forehead with half-lidded eyes.

"I healed your injuries, dear." Recovery Girl explains. "However, my quirk doesn't just simply 'heal.' It requires energy from yourself. I'm only able to stimulate your body's healing process. Given how little energy you have, it's only natural you feel like you're about to pass out." She frowns. "I'm surprised you're still conscious."

Oh, so that's it. Although she no longer feels pain from her injuries, this drowsiness is somehow worse. She should've just skipped out on coming here.

"Now, the only reason you're still alive is because I spared just enough of your energy so your body can still function. You should be able to move somewhat." She points at the bed available on the far side of the room. "Go get some rest over there. I'm sure I don't have to inform you of how disappointed I am that you're still not taking care of yourself. When you wake up, I'll make sure there is a nice meal for you to eat."

Rest sounds nice, but she doesn't want to do that here. Does she even deserve to rest? She wants to leave this school, but she doesn't want to go home. Should she go to Daichi, then? No, she's still a little suspicious of him. Where should she go? _Aizawa…_ she was supposed to go to the teachers' lounge, wasn't she?

"I was told to go to the teachers' lounge after my classes were over. I have… detention. So, I need to—" She starts, only for Recovery Girl to sternly cut her off.

"Forget about that. You need to rest. Just as you're feeling it, you look severely overworked too."

"...Overworked?" Hotaru repeats quietly in a voice that's barely able to be heard. Her eyes move downcast, wondering why she would choose that word specifically.

"It's not hard to tell. You've been overworking yourself, haven't you, dear? When was the last time you've actually relaxed? Not just relaxed physically, but mentally too. You always do look as if you're lost in thought." The older woman speaks in a tone that's oddly soothing, making Hotaru slowly look back up at her with widened eyes.

That's a question Hotaru doesn't really have an answer too. Even in moments she's sitting still for once, she's always trapped in her own mind swarming with thoughts. Recovery Girl is as perceptive as all the other heroes at this school. Perhaps this perceptive ability comes with the hero package. Or, is it just really that obvious?

The way Recovery Girl is looking at her with that wrinkled expression of concern makes her chest grow heavy. That sensation alone makes it clear to her that being at a school like this, it's definitely making it feel like she's beginning to drown. She's sure if one more hero looks at her with an expression such as the one before her once more, she'll surely lose it.

"Then… I'll rest now."

She stands, making her way towards the bed with slow movements. Upon standing she feels dizzy, and her trembling legs makes it feel she's going to topple over. She almost thinks she won't make it to the bed, but somehow, she does. As soon as she approaches it, her body falls down atop it.

Moving beneath the sheets, she crawls to the center of the bed and buries her face into the pillow. The fabric is cold, but it feels nice to be lying down. Her eyelids lower until all she sees is black. It doesn't take long for her to begin to fall asleep. As she's sucked into slumber, indistinguishable voices fill her head.

•

" _...One For All..."_

" _...I wasn't worried about her…_ "

" _...Die…"_

•

Those words are what she hears before she really falls deeply into sleep. Then, she finds herself staring into silver eyes on a stormy night. Lightning flashes followed by fire, and a bloodcurdling scream follows.

Her eyes snap open and she shoots upwards with a gasp. Sweat drenches her skin and her breaths are heavy. Her quivering fingers curl tightly into the sheets and she hunches forward, trying to level her breathing out. Why did she dream of that night?

"Bad dream?" A familiar and drowsy voice questions.

She looks over, seeing none other than Aizawa sitting at her bedside. Him being here makes her experience a moment of déja vu. This is the second time she awoken in this room with him being right there. Only this time, the air feels different. Or, perhaps it's just her that feels different.

Before, it was hero and villain in the room. He was just an obstacle and someone she had to be cautious of, an opponent. _He was annoying_. Now, seeing him brings about a sense of comfort. She wonders why, but it's rather obvious. He's the one she wants to talk to.

She opens her mouth to speak, but her tight throat prevents any words from coming out. All she can do is give a small nod. He blinks twice almost as if he wasn't expecting that response, and she looks away from him in embarrassment, realizing just how pathetic that response of hers was. She swallows thickly and manages to speak. With how feeble her voice is, she wishes she just would've stayed quiet.

"Y-yes. Sorry to… worry you."

He ignores her apology, and she's more than grateful. She raises her hand towards her face to brush her hair back, wondering what exactly is wrong with her today. Somehow, she feels more clueless than before.

"'This time I'll be the one to save you.'" Aizawa idly breaks the silence, making her tense greatly and look back over at him with a pale face. He quoted the words she spoke earlier, _the words that only All Might heard._

"...I-I see." Her voice quivers and she forces a pitiful smile. "All Might must've told you."

He lets out a heavy and irksome sigh, closing his eyes briefly. Hotaru swallows thickly once again when his eyes reopen and seem the gaze right into her. He leans forward in his chair, his hands clasping together in his lap.

"When will you stop being so difficult and tell me why you're really here?" He questions blandly.

"Honestly…" She begins, turning so she's facing him. Her legs hang off the side of the bed, and her hands hold the covers against her body. "I'm not so sure why I'm here anymore."

Silence hovers in the air after that, and Hotaru lets out a breath. She shouldn't have said that, and she definitely shouldn't speak anymore. But, she does. Because, deep down inside this is what she really wanted to do.

"I've learned so much today, actually." Hotaru murmurs, fiddling with her fingers. "But, most importantly I learned that I'm not suited for any of this."

"Meaning?"

"Well…" She holds up two fingers, pointing at one. "Let's say this finger represents a righteous path, and the other represents an unjust and wrongful one. Neither one guarantees happiness. Which path would you take?"

"The righteous one." He answers easily.

"Even if it's equivalent to signing a death certificate?"

His eyes widen the tiniest bit. She said too much, and now she doesn't know what to say. He addresses her once and she doesn't react, and when he addresses her a second time she nearly laughs as she wonders—how can this unkempt hero she met a mere few days ago look at her with more care than her own father ever has?

The moment she inwardly asks herself that question, she becomes aware of something. It's warm, rolling down her cheeks slowly. It's something that makes her vision blurry and eyes sting. Her lips slowly part as she draws in a stunned gasp. She brings her hand towards face and her fingers brush against a wet trail.

 _Tears?_

"W-Why am I…?" She whispers to herself, her voice breaking. Shaking her head, she shields her face from Aizawa by lowering her head so her messy hair acts like a curtain. She has completely lost it.

Embarrassment. That's what she feels, but desperation is what she feels more strongly. She doesn't know what to do anymore, and this is the outcome because of that. Her trembling hands move over her face, then another settles atop her head. She grows tense.

"It's better to live a life you can be proud of. That's what I think, anyway. So, when this 'death certificate' is signed, I won't be leaving with any regrets." Aizawa answers her question easily. "Now, what about you?" His hand pushes against her head just enough so her tear stained face is visible again. "Which path would you take?"

His answer leaves her breathless, and even more clueless. Once again, she can't form any words. He answered her question truthfully, but she didn't expect for him to ask her the very same question. All she can do is stare at him wide-eyed. She doesn't have an answer. That's why she asked that question, _because she was hoping he would_ —

"I can't choose for you." He reads her like an open book, and her face grows a shade lighter. "Just like I can't choose for you, I can't help you either."

Her heart stops, and her face is now as white as a sheet at that. Those words cut through her mercilessly. With how it's almost as if she has forgotten how to breathe, and how cold sweat forms on her temple, she realizes that those are the worst possible words that could've been spoken to her. _Help._ That's why she came here.

"S-Sensei—!" She speaks in a panic only to be cut off.

"I don't know your situation and I won't know until you tell me, and since I don't know, helping you is impossible." He removes his hand from her head, standing as he does. "Just don't wait until it's too late to ask for it."

He turns so his back is to her. As soon as he takes that first step towards the door to leave, he pauses. Feeling something tangled into the back of his shirt, he looks over his shoulder to see Hotaru's hand clinging to it desperately to keep him rooted in the same spot. He looks at her frustrated face.

"I can't say," She says what she always does, but this time she adds on to it. "Because, if I do tell you, your life will be in danger. Y-You'll die. I'm trying to protect you guys…!" She draws in a thick breath. "Don't you stupid heroes realize that?"

"Who do you think we heroes are?" Aizawa asks, facing her disgruntled form. "Signing 'death certificates' comes with the job. Heroes are always putting their lives on the line." He sighs heavily, looking at her like she's just a nuisance. "You're no hero, so quit trying to play the role of one. Just like you're no hero, you're no villain either. You're just an indecisive problem-child."

Hotaru's breath gets caught in her throat. Her grip on his shirt lessens until her hand falls limply into her lap. _An indecisive problem-child?_ A hero is something she knew she wasn't, but a villain is something she always considered herself as, and now she doesn't even qualify as that? Those words cut through her, feeling much worse than a punch to the gut. Aizawa's straightforwardness is something she admired, but now she's starting to loathe it.

"I'm leaving now." Aizawa speaks again, and Hotaru can't even gather the strength to look at him. All she does is stare at the tiled floor. "Nezu has given you permission to rest here tonight if you need to, and Recovery Girl has left you a meal in the fridge."

His footsteps echo as he makes his way towards the door, and the opening and closing of it follows shortly afterwards. The air conditioning unit resonates in the now silent room. Even though no more words are being spoken, everything around her grows louder. She continues to stare at the floor, watching as her still flowing tears splatter down onto it.

"Idiot," She breathes out, wiping harshly at her eyes. "That's not the answer I wanted."

She suddenly thinks of how this school even allowed someone like her in it, how Recovery Girl claimed she knew she wouldn't shock her, how All Might seen right through her, even Aizawa's words just now. This whole time, they never viewed her as a villain. They only pitied her.

She lays back down on the bed, resting on her side and burying her face in the lone pillow. Her eyelids clamp together. She can't even blame Shoto for her situation anymore. Everything that's happened up until now was because of herself, not him. Even though he hates her, she still can't help but to care for him.

The art of letting go is easier said than done. She was supposed to have mastered that by now. That was one of the first things her father taught her—to not care. He taught her many things growing up. For the longest she accepted his teachings, but she would be lying to herself if she said she didn't constantly have a growing doubt.

A low rumble makes her silvery eyes open and stare out the window. It's dark out, which means she must've been knocked out for a while. She's sure she would be seeing countless stars in the sky if it wasn't for the forming storm clouds. Lightning flashes in the distance, and she squints against the brightness. Thunder rumbles lowly once more followed by a vibrating sound.

Her eyes are drawn to her vibrating phone on the nearby table. Somebody is calling her. Annoyingly enough, she has to stand up and walk a few steps to reach her phone. She wordlessly picks it up, and when she sees the name displayed on the screen she nearly drops it.

 _Dad._

She feels like she's suddenly encased in ice, ice much colder than Shoto's. That's right, her father said he would contact her again today. Her body trembles more intensely than before and she draws in multiple deep breathes. She can't ignore this call.

Shakily, her finger swipes across the green icon to accept the call. She raises her phone to her ear, using her other hand to wipe at tearful her eyes again. Swallowing, she speaks, and her voice does the one thing she didn't want it to do.

"Hi." Her voice cracks, and of course he takes notice.

"Taru? Are you okay?"

"Mhm," She nods even though he can't see her, trying desperately to calm herself. "...I just woke up."

"I see," He chuckles like he's not surprised, accepting her lie easily. She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Sorry to wake you, but I'm sure you won't hold it against me after this surprise."

"...Surprise?" She whispers, paling at his next words.

"Come outside."

•○●○•

Cold and heavy rain plummets from the pitch-black sky. The wind makes the rain fall sideways like ocean waves, and countless puddles are scattered everywhere. A lone street light flickers and a lone figure walks below it, stepping into a large puddle and creating a splash. They pause in their walk and stare down at the gathered water. Silver eyes stare right back.

Hotaru raises her hand, brushing her soaked hair back and redirecting her gaze ahead. The prestigious school just behind her is hardly visible at all in this heavy downpour. Oddly enough, a hooded figure before her is as clear as day.

They are hidden in the shadows of a nearby alley, being extra cautious even though no camera at all could distinguish who they are in weather such as this. This storm along with their presence… the timing is too perfect.

She takes steps forward until she's consumed by the alley shadows like they are. Coming to a stop in front of them, her eyes travel up their tall frame until she's met with eyes that are the mirror image of her own.

"It's been a while," Their deep voice begins while they lower their hood, revealing a badly scarred face from the result of flames. "Taru."

Hotaru stares at her father, and her lips slowly curve upwards into a fake smile. She's never been so grateful for rain in her life. It does a wonderful job of camouflaging her pathetic tears. She lets out a breathy laugh.

"Hi, dad."

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Torment

❤•○●○•❤

Hotaru stares into his red eyes that grow closer and closer. Their eye contact is broken when he moves behind her, so she settles for staring at the brick wall instead. She doesn't need to be looking his way to tell that his hand is centimeters away from her neck.

"Lay even a single finger on me, I'll kill you on the spot." She warns.

"Not only is she a brat, but she's rude too. She's a combination of two of the things I hate." Shigaraki mutters, his nails scraping away at his neck. "Kurogiri... Rai... get her out of here...!"

"Calm down, Tomura Shigaraki." Kurogiri soothes. "Rai has yet to introduce her."

All eyes move to Rai. He grins while holding out his hands proudly, and Hotaru's jaw locks at his words.

"This is our trump card."


	12. Torment

**Oblivious IJ:** eheh~! you are correct!

 **AugustRrush** : thank you! :D ❤

 **WriterSamurai** **:** thank you so much! ❤ that makes me happy! i hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as the others!

 **Vedahzii:** yes! ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

 **bbymojo** : you're welcome! ❤ thank you for your reviews~! i feel so sorry for Hotaru when i write her, but when i write her with Aizawa it's comforting... she definitely respects him big time! thanks for having faith in Hotaru! i hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Aislinia** : ahhhh~! thank you! so so happy you love it, please enjoy! :D ❤

 **Ruby Calendula** : i was worried it would be cliche and mary-sue-ish too.. (ノ_・。) , ha. anyways, i'm so very happy you like this story! i'm relieved and unbelievably happy, thank you so much! seriously, thank you x100 ! i'll continue to work hard! ❤ please enjoy!

 **LiveTake** : thank youuuu! i'm so happy, thank you! ❤ ha ~ i just love writing Mineta. he's a pervert yes, but funny too especially w Hotaru! i hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Labloom:** yaayy ~! haha, enjoy! thank you so much ❤

•

 **thank you so much, everyone !**

 **it makes me literally so happy that you all are enjoying this story, if you couldn't tell already c:**

 **enjoy this chapter, and if there are any errors I apologize.**

 **i wrote this while doing summer assignments, whoops ~** ╮(─▽─)╭

 **thank you for reading!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Torment

❤•○●○•❤

Rain water glides down Hotaru's face, and her drenched hair sticks to her skin like glue. Lightning flashes over her head and rats scurry about at the sudden boom of thunder. There is a chill in the air and it's tempting to wrap her arms around herself for warmth, but she doesn't. She keeps her arms hanging at her sides, not letting her silver orbs move away from her father standing before her.

He's smiling at her like she's a long-lost friend, his striking silver eyes holding an eager glint. She allows her gaze to roam over the burn scar that stretches across the lower portion of his face, leaving the left corner of his lips slightly deformed. Her eyelids lower slightly the longer she stares at that scar, and for a split second she can feel the heat of the flames that caused it.

"What's the matter, Taru?" He asks, chuckling and holding out his arms. "I thought you'd tackle me with a hug. It's been five years since we last saw each other like this."

At that, her eyelids lower fully. Has it really been five years since that day already? Thinking about it now, she supposes it has been. Time passes by too quickly, but in that passed time one thing remains the same. She opens her eyes to look at him once again. _Yes… he still looks at her the exact same way._

She takes steps forward, making the puddles below distort. Her fingers moves to brush her hair back and her lips part as she lets out a breath heavier than the rest. Once she's close enough, she wraps her arms around him in an embrace, face buried in his chest. His hand settles atop her head and he whispers.

"You've changed. You're not my chipper and playful girl anymore."

"No, not anymore." Her fingers curl into the back of his cloak, inquiring softly. "Is that the me you prefer?"

He laughs while shaking his head, only now bringing his arms around her to return her embrace. She looks off to the side, her eyes drawn to a black cat tucked away beneath a dumpster. Upon eye contact it hisses, voicing her own thoughts at her father's next words.

"No. I prefer this you—stone cold. A prodigious villain just like your mom and I raised you to be, and just like you wanted." He answers.

"Yeah. I worked hard, but I don't think I'm all that prodigious yet." She sighs, releasing him and taking a step back while crossing her arms. "What are you doing here? Walking around in public isn't a very smart thing for a 'dead man' to do."

"Straight to business as always." He chuckles, smirking. "Firstly, I have a question to ask you. I'm sure you know what it is."

She had only just managed to get her swarming emotions under control, but at his words they return full force. The organ in her chest staggers and her eyes sting once more. Something presses against her leg, and she looks down, seeing that black cat now rubbing against her. Her fingers tremble while her breath gets caught in her throat.

"Endeavor's son," He begins, and her stomach knots up. "Are you sure he's not a student at U.A.?"

The flickering streetlight just outside of the alley they stand in dies, and Hotaru slowly looks back up at her father. The sound of the falling rain is blocked out by the sound of her own pulse.

Shoto's hateful eyes flash across her vision, and she can almost feel the biting cold of his ice nipping away at her skin. All of the pain he's inflicted on her knocks on her memory's doorstep. His hatred towards her is immeasurable, and she's more than certain it'll forever remain that way. Yes, she's sure it will. Why wouldn't it?

She looks back down at the cat by her feet. It went from hissing at her to rubbing against her affectionately. _Hate transformed into adoration_. Her eyes continue to bore into the cat. A glimmer of hope and a flicker of doubt. Hate and adoration, hope and doubt… it's no different than saying two worlds apart, and she's ensnared somewhere in-between.

•

" _You're just an indecisive problem-child."_

•

"Taru?" Her father speaks at her silence.

"Yes, he's..." Hotaru whispers while crouching down, and her father's eyes slowly widen.

Her fingertips brush against the cat and its body jerks in what appears to be fright. It hisses once more, swiping its claws at her even. Despite that, she carefully picks it up and holds it against her. She slowly straightens up and scratches behind the drenched cat's ear, easily noticing its shivers.

"He's not a student there." She finishes. "I've scouted out the entire school, even looked through records. He's definitely not a student at U.A."

Silence hovers in the air for a few seconds afterwards, and her eyes remain locked with his own. He gazes at her so heavily it feels as if she's going to crumble at any second. Did he see through her lie? Just as she thinks that, he lets out a disappointed breath.

"Really? I see." He sighs, openly dissatisfied. "Well, it can't be helped."

At that, Hotaru suddenly lets out her own heavy breath that she didn't even realize she was holding. Her eyes even shut, and she buries her face into the cat's fur, listening to its purrs. Even now, she doesn't know what she's doing.

She's not a villain, yet she's not a hero. She wasn't acting on either of those things. All she did was say what was best to protect the one most precious to her. Even though he hates her and wants nothing to do with her, she can't help it. Was she in the right? Or would she have been better off just telling the truth?

"Then, let's move on to plan B." Her dad's voice makes her eyes flutter open. She gazes at him with parted lips, caught off-guard.

"...Plan B?" She repeats breathlessly, and he smirks.

"Follow me. There are some people I want you to meet."

He turns on his feet and starts walking deeper into the alley. Hotaru remains standing in the same spot for a moment longer before trailing after him. He looks over his shoulder at her with a raised brow.

"You're bringing that cat?" He inquires, walking at a slower pace until she's by his side.

"Yeah." She nods, holding it closer to try and warm it up. "It doesn't have anywhere else to go, anyways."

"Hmph." He chuckles. "I suppose so. But, that's a black cat."

"What of it?"

"You're holding an omen of misfortune and death."

Lightning illuminates the night and her father's muscled form getting further ahead of her. Hotaru's eyes are wide and hold a tremble along with her appendages. She has stopped walking and is standing in a murky puddle, frozen stiff. The cat in her arms meows, it's yellow eyes that seem to glow staring up at her. She forcefully swallows, her throat tight. She continues after her father, _only after setting the cat down._

It's quiet as they walk, a silence Hotaru finds unsettling. The rain gradually slows. Just like her wet hair is stuck to her face, her soaked clothes are glued to her flesh. They make many turns and take many different paths. Before long, Hotaru's recognizes the area they are in.

"Home?" She questions, brows furrowed in confusion as they walk towards their house. "Why are we here?"

"I invited a couple friends of mine over." Her father explains. "Tonight, we are going to finalize our plan."

"What plan?" She quickly asks, turning her head in his direction. "What about our current one?"

"That plan is useless since Endeavor's son isn't at U.A." He grins wickedly. "However, this plan right here is far greater."

Sweat breaks out on Hotaru's temple, and she stands behind her father as he turns proceeds to open the front door. Turmoil brews in her stomach, and it almost makes her feel nauseous.

From the way he's talking, it's as if this "plan B" is something that's been in the works for quite some time. Yet, she was never made aware of it. She didn't think for a second he would have something else up his sleeve to make up for their "useless" plan A.

Could this plan really be that much better that he would easily abandon the one he's had his mind set on for so long? What could he possibly be thinking? More importantly, just who is beyond this door? Soon enough, she gets her answer.

Once the door opens and upon the moment she steps inside her own home, her eyes are drawn towards two figures in the living room. She's not sure why, but the sight of these two strangers makes her blood curdle. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck rise and static tickles at her flesh, and her fingers curl into tight fists.

A slim and deathly pale man that has the most gruesome scratch marks on his neck sits upon her couch. His red eyes gaze at her from beneath his grayish-blue hair, and a total of fourteen hands are stuck to his body, one even covering the majority of his face.

Another man stands right next to him, although, his body is made out of a dark purple mist. He has slender glowing yellow eyes and he's dressed in an elaborate suit. He stares at her too.

Throughout Hotaru's whole life, she's seen and been surrounded by so many different villains. For the longest, she even considered herself one. She's not sure what she's considered as now, but that doesn't matter. She lived as a villain and experienced so much, so why is it that these two men send her nerves on edge?

"Rai… You called us out here and make us wait for so long…" The man who is seemingly obsessed with hands slowly points at her. "Don't tell me this is who you went out to fetch…?"

Not liking how his narrowed red eyes gaze at her, and how he speaks of her in such a tone and like she's not even present, Hotaru narrows her own eyes in challenge. She points a finger at him in return.

"Don't tell me this zombie is who you wanted me to meet…?" She says, purposely letting sparks adorn her pointing finger. He stands.

Hotaru stares into his red eyes that grow closer and closer. Their eye contact is broken when he moves behind her, so she settles for staring at the brick wall instead. She doesn't need to be looking his way to tell that his hand is centimeters away from her neck.

"Lay even a single finger on me, I'll kill you on the spot." She warns.

"Not only is she a brat, but she's rude too. She's a combination of the two things I hate." He mutters intensely from behind her, his nails scraping away at his neck. "Kurogiri… Rai… get her out of here…!"

"I don't think you have the right to tell me to get out of my own house. If you hate me that much, then you should leave, and if you're not okay with that..." She shrouds herself in lightning, glaring. "I have no problem doing things the hard way."

"Calm down, Tomura Shigaraki." Kurogiri soothes. "Rai has yet to introduce her."

All eyes move to Rai. He grins while holding out his hands proudly, and Hotaru's jaw locks at his words.

"This is our trump card." He says, and then all eyes are on Hotaru.

She stands there motionlessly and her lightning fades. Her eyes glare at the ground and it takes everything in her to keep herself from glaring at her own father. She draws in a breath to compose herself somewhat before looking back at the two villains before her.

"Hotaru Aihara." She tells her name, face blank as she gives herself a proper introduction. Her father brings his arm around her, pulling her into his side.

Being held by him used to comfort her so much. It was the best feeling that made her feel so warm inside. She found herself missing simple contacts like this a lot before. She was always such a daddy's girl. However, right now, she can't bring herself to relax into his touch.

Her head is swarming with thoughts to the point all sound around her is blocked out. She can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. Her gaze falls to the floor.

Why would her father return home so suddenly after being gone for years? He was always a lone wolf type of villain. He didn't work with anyone other than her own mother, and now all of a sudden, he's plotting with two other villains? It's unsettling how smoothly things went. He so easily accepted her lie.

Did he trust her that easily? Did he see through her lies from the very beginning and is only acting calmly about it? She swallows thickly. Or, is this new plan just that much greater? He seems very eager about this new plan. Just what could it be? There's no way he would abandon getting revenge on Endeavor that easily.

Not only that, why would he invite these villains into their home instead of some place obscure? Her mother is foolish enough to do such things, but she wouldn't expect something like this from her father. _It's reckless—_

"Kill All Might."

Those words she just barely picked up cut through her mercilessly, dragging her out of her thoughts. For a split second she can almost swear her heart stops. Her eyes grow wide and she slowly looks up at her father. He's grinning eagerly.

"...W-What?" She breathes out, glistening sweat gliding down her face.

"Were you spacing out, Taru?" Her dad chuckles, ruffling up her hair and moving away. She watches as he outstretches his arms and stands in front of Shigaraki and Kurogiri. "We are going to kill All Might! We've already acquired the resources to pull it off—"

"Why?" Hotaru cuts him off shakily, taking a single step forward while her fingers tremble. "Why are we going after All Might? What about Endeavor?"

Her jaw is locked so tightly it's almost painful. _Already acquired the resources...?_ What are those "resources?" Just how long has this plan been in the works? Her teeth grit and bear. He's kept her in the dark long enough for his original plan, never really telling her the entirety of it, and he's kept her completely in the dark for this one.

"We'll come back to him. Don't you worry," He smiles lightly. "I know how eager you are to get your revenge on him like I am. But, All Might is a better target, don't you think?"

Hotaru takes a single step back, her arms hanging limply at her sides as she stares at her feet. She's crumbling. No longer going after Endeavor means she no longer needs to concern herself with Shoto. He'll be safe for the time being. But, _killing All Might?_ Right then and there, his voice fills her head.

•

" _I do know a villain when I see one, but I also know a hero when I see one, and a hero is what I see in you."_

•

"No." She whispers, forming fists.

"What?" Her father raises a brow, not having heard her. His eyes enlarge when she looks up at him with an intense glare.

"What makes you think you can kill All Might if you can't even kill Endeavor? You've tried for years and failed, and you expect All Might to be an easier target? Be more realistic… you could never accomplish that even with an army."

Silence hovers in the air instantly after that. _A suffocating silence._ This would be the first time she denigrated him. She's not entirely sure what came over her, but then again, she's been unsure for the longest.

Villainous aura floods the room, him being the source of it. He takes steps towards her, and she holds her own by keeping her eyes locked with his. Not once does she falter in her stare, that is, until her cheek stings harshly.

This would also be a first, too. Her pale eyes stare at the wall over her shoulder, her expression like that of a zombie. Slowly, she raises her hand and brushes her fingers over her bruising cheek, turning her head just in time to see her father lowering his hand that struck her.

"Taru, watch your mouth. Don't forget who you're talking to." He bites out, and all she can do is nod.

Her vision blurs as she wipes at the red trail seeping from the corner of her lips. A stale and metallic taste coats her tongue, and she swallows. _What is she even doing anymore?_ She should've known speaking of what he's most sensitive about and in a tone like that would've resulted in this.

"Remind me… how is this brat our trump card?" Shigaraki grumbles out, him and Kurogiri seemingly unfazed by what just transpired. Although, they are gazing at her skeptically.

"All that's left for the plan to commence is to acquire All Might's teaching schedule, right? And to do that we will need to get into U.A. unseen." Her father questions, and the two nod which prompts him to smirk. "That won't be a problem for Taru. After all, she's a 'student' there."

"...I don't think the brat has what it takes." Shigaraki mutters.

"Now, Tomura Shigaraki." Kurogiri begins in a calming manner. "This may be the perfect opportunity. It'll draw less attention."

Kurogiri and Shigaraki stare at each other intensely, having a silent conversation with their eyes. Hotaru's own eyes narrow for a brief second when she puts their silent pieces together. Then, her father's hand settles atop her head.

"Taru can do it with ease." He says, ruffling up her hair again. "I've trained her for years and shaped her into the villain she is today. She wants this just as much as I do. She has and always will be my prodigy. She'll do it. Right, Taru?"

Hotaru silently looks over at him. He's not asking if she can do it, or if she's willing, he has already decided for her. Her eyelids gradually lower and she answers after a short pause.

"Of course." She replies, and he smiles.

A cringeworthy scratching noise makes her eyes reopen, and they land on Shigaraki moving past with while clawing at his neck. He comes to a stop by a lone table that's pushed up against the wall, and he looks over at her while picking up a ceramic vase. Her eyes grow large and her blood runs cold when the vase turns to dust, _decaying away._

"Don't mess up." He says, pointing his finger at her when the remnants of the vase falls away. He gives a twisted grin. "If you do… this may just happen to you."

Hotaru can't reply, too appalled by his quirk. Cold sweat forms on her brow. He has the power to make things decay? Does it work with a single touch? With his mind? The longer she stares at him, the more her legs begin to feel like jelly. It's been a long while since she came across someone her mind and body screamed to get away from. The room before her spirals.

She had long already signed her death certificate. She's going to die, she knows that. However, she never thought of how she would, but now it's becoming more and more clear. It frightens her. Will she slowly crumble away like that vase, screaming excruciatingly for every piece of her that falls away?

"Taru." Her father's voice makes her jump slightly. She slowly looks over at his proudly smiling face. "It's all on you."

"...When should I do this?" She quietly asks, and his answer nearly knocks her off her feet.

"Now, when school activity is low."

Shigaraki watches as Hotaru nods slowly and heads towards the door, her father following behind. His red eyes narrow and his teeth grit, making Kurogiri look over curiously. It's only when the two leave the room when Shigaraki mumbles distastefully.

"I hate liars."

•○●○•

"You know what to do, right?" Rai asks, looking at Hotaru who's staring at U.A. just beyond the alley they are in. This is the exact spot he had waited for her earlier.

"Infiltrate the building, find All Might's schedule, then report back to you." She answers in a hollow tone. "You'll be on standby right here during it all."

He grins, proud of his daughter. She knows exactly what to do and will pull it off with ease. She truly is his prodigy, and he couldn't be more proud of the villain she has become. All of the years they spent training is about to pay off.

It's been so long since he's seen Hotaru with his own eyes, and she's surely no longer just a child. She's becoming a young woman and he has missed out on so much of her growth. However, his teachings has obviously stuck with her and shaped her into who she is now. His eyes linger over the bruise on her cheek and causes his grin to falter.

"I'm going now." Hotaru announces, not even sparing him a glance and heading towards the famous school building.

"Wait, Taru."

At his sudden request, she turns around and looks at him with a gaze that's rather drab. She's standing just outside of the alley at this point, and he takes steps towards her. A crease forms in her brow and she frowns.

"Someone could see you, so you shouldn't—" She begins to say, only for any other words to get caught in her throat when he closes the gap.

He reaches towards her, carefully cupping her cheek in his palm. The rough pad of his thumb glides over her bruised face, and it's evident she's trying her best not to wince at the contact. Her eyes widen slightly at the driven expression he wears.

"When all is said and done, let's leave this country." He murmurs, and her lips part in surprise. "Let's leave this country and start a new life somewhere else. There, I will make up for all the years I missed to be your father."

Rain water drips from nearby power lines and lights, and slowly but surely the stars are starting to reveal themselves. Hotaru's eyes hold a glistening shine as a thick coat of moisture covers them. Her lips slowly curve upwards and so does his own. Silently, she turns away from him and heads off towards U.A., and Rai speaks once more. His voice is carried over to Hotaru from the chilling breeze.

"My prodigy."

Yes, she's always been his prodigy. From the moment her quirk has come to life it's always been that way. She's been trained to be a top villain, and now's her chance to be just that. It's what she wanted.

She enters U.A. by scanning her student ID card at the security gate. Passing through is a breeze and entering the building itself is just as easy. The security system is built to keep villains and wrongdoers out. However, with someone such as herself, it's useless. She's not a villain or hero, _just someone caught between two worlds_.

A problem child is who she is. Someone who can't decide for herself and doesn't know which path to take. She's been down the same road for so long—a road crammed with her father's teachings. It's the dark road of a villain. Just recently another path has revealed itself, and she's seen that path once before long ago.

Her attire that's still damp sticks uncomfortably to her skin, and her feet are as silent as a stalking cat carry her into the teachers' lounge. She naturally heads towards the most cluttered desk present— _All Might's_.

Finding the Symbol of Peace's schedule is like finding a diamond among the coal. She grabs the paper lying atop the messy stack of books and holds it up. Her bloodshot eyes scan it over, learning where and when he's going to be for the next upcoming days. Now, all she needs to do is report her findings back to her dad.

This is the easiest thing she's ever done, but also the biggest. This here is the first step to killing the number one hero. _One of the two first steps._ It was obvious Shigaraki and Kurogiri had another plan of their own to accomplish this first step.

"You're so stupid… daddy." She whispers, sitting down in the nearby rolling chair. How could he have not noticed?

The sound of the air conditioning unit is the only sound she can hear while sitting in this silent and dark room. She turns in the chair, staring out the window and into the now clear night sky. A black crow flies across her vision, and a shadow is cast over her face as she lowers her head.

"Another bad omen…" She whispers, pulling out her phone with trembling fingers. Her quivering lips curve upwards. "...Hah…"

She holds her phone to her ear, listening to the dialing tone. It's over just as soon as it starts, and she swallows thickly while her eyes sting with tears once again. _How disappointing_. The schedule in her hand wrinkles at her tight grip.

"Taru? Did you find it?" Her father asks promptly.

"Yes. I have it right here."

"Read it off to me."

She tilts her head back, head angled towards the ceiling. Her messy bangs cover her eyes and her lips compress together. Everything around her fades and she finds herself standing at a crossroad, dusk and dawn on either one.

One road is brighter than the other, but each road has something in common. A creature is waiting for her at the end of both roads. A crow on the road to dusk and a cat on the road to dawn, both as black as night. She swallows thickly, her lower lip trembling. It doesn't matter which path she takes; her death is more than certain no matter what.

She stares down the dark road before focusing on the dimly lit one. There was a time she went down that road before. Someone paved that road for her. That someone was her first friend.

He had the most beautiful and unique eyes. He didn't smile much, but when he did it was the most stunning sight. With him the world was nothing like she was brought up to know. Everything was born anew. She misses him. Although, it's clear things will never be like they were. The scars are too deep.

•

" _Which path would you take?"_

•

Her gaze falls over to a nearby desk with Aizawa's name tag on it, and she slowly lowers her phone. _An indecisive problem child._ That hurt a whole lot, and even now she's indecisive. She doesn't know which path to take, but she knows the one she originally wanted to take. She'll die either way, right? Even if she remains stranded in the same place, it'll all turn out the same.

Become a villain, surely disaster will strike. Become a hero, surely a villain will do away with her. Remain indecisive, stranded and helpless like she is now, she'll drown in her own regrets and hopeless dreams. She raises the phone back towards her ear.

Her original plan comes to the surface of her mind. This isn't how she envisioned her revenge to go, and she's already dug herself too deeply into a hole that she can no longer climb out of. Is this the right choice? Well, she was double crossing him anyway, and she'll have the least regrets this way.

"...I'm incapable." She whispers.

"What do you mean?" Her father replies, confused.

"...I'm not a villain, so I won't read this off to you. I can no longer see the world like you do. Lay a single finger on any hero here, I'll make you regret it. If you so much as look at a student here, I'll kill you. You going away is the best possible thing you could've done for me, and I thank you for that. It opened my eyes. The truth is…" Her eyes squeeze shut. "I've always wanted to be a hero!"

Hotaru's breathing heavily, drenched in her own sweat and now standing. She clutches at her phone tightly and quivers all over. All she wanted to say is "no," but instead her bottled up feelings erupted. There's no response on the other line, and she thinks he has hung up until his voice sounds out seconds later.

"...That's unfortunate. Tell me… Taru," He spits out her name, and his next words before the call ends make her phone drop from her hand. "Is there someone you care about? If so… you've just signed their death certificate."

A loud ringing fills her ears and her knees hit the ground. Her skin is ice cold and as pale as a ghost. She stares ahead at the wall trying desperately to catch her breath. Her hands tangle into her hair and she hunches forward, cursing herself over and over. What has she done?

"S-Shoto…!"

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Inconsolable

❤•○●○•❤

Shoto stares at her wide-eyed from over his shoulder, frozen in place despite the many bodies of panicked students shoving past them and towards the exit. Even though her knees hit the ground, her hand remains tangled into the fabric of his shirt.

"Don't go out there... please." Hotaru whispers. "S-Stay here. I'll do anything if you'd just stay."

He doesn't respond and her hand falls from his shirt when he moves out of reach. Her insides constrict and everything starts to spin. It's dark and she suddenly feels like she's suffocating. Then, Shoto crouches down next to her.

"What's wrong with you? Just breathe."

"Breathe?"

He gives her a pointed look.

Oh, _she's not breathing_.

She gasps desperately.


	13. Inconsolable

**LiveTake:** aaahh ~ thank you! I'll keep trying my best!

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 **Vedahzii** : yes ! it's now her time to shine! ≧◡≦

 **kirika o7** : omg, thank you so so much ! i truly loved reading your review, and your scenarios, so great ~ ! it makes me beyond happy hearing how much your enjoying this story, and i hope you can continue to enjoy it ! thank you so much for reading, reviewing and sharing your amazing thoughts ! i wonder.. will any of your scenarios actually happen...? eheh ~ (´ω｀)

 **NewOtakuShipper101:** awe, next chapter for you ~ ! don't get too anxious, okay ? ❤ c: thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoy this chapter!

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 **curlystruggle** : thank youuu ! (◠﹏◠✿) love how you laughed out loud, it makes me so happy ~ !

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•

 **once again, i can't express how thankful i am to all of you. thank you, so so much !**

 **i hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and if there are any errors i apologize ! i'll fix any asap.**

 **thank you so much for reading !**

 **please enjoy ❤**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Inconsolable

❤•○●○•❤

The on and off storms that occurred overnight have strewed countless puddles across the roads and sidewalks. Leftover rainwater drips from the green foliage of trees and hidden cicadas sing their songs. The morning sun shines bright and dissolves any remaining clouds. Although the intense overnight storms are long gone, something far more extreme lingers in the atmosphere, _yet everyone is so clueless_.

Hotaru sits at the base of the stairs leading up to the prodigious hero school. Her hair is damp along with her attire, and her hands are clasped together tightly as her silver eyes dart around wildly, keenly studying every single person passing by her.

The dark rings that are usually present beneath her eyes are even more noticeable today, especially so since the dark bruise on her cheek compliments them. She didn't sleep a wink last night and nor did she eat. Her stomach is empty, and her energy is low, but her current jitters make her unaware of these facts.

As soon as her father ended that dreadful phone call last night, she came rushing outside only to find him nowhere in sight. He left without leaving a trace of his presence behind. Since then she has felt like she's slowly suffocating.

 _Did he go after Shoto?_

She searched the streets and couldn't find a thing, even returning to her house to find it empty. Not knowing where Shoto's home is or having any contact information, there's no way she could check on his well-being. She even tried calling her father, but her calls never went through. She called her mother too, and even that had failed.

In the end, she decided to wait right here and hope for him to show up. She's been sitting here for hours in the occasional rain. She watched night turn into day. So far, many students have walked passed her to enter the school, _but not Shoto._

She brings her clasped hands against her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut and drawing in a deep breath. Where is he? Shouldn't he be here by now? She bites down harshly on the inside of her cheek, drawing blood.

"Taru-chan?" A concerned voice makes her look up in a flash. Mineta and Kaminari are standing in front of her, worried expressions on their faces. She slowly lowers her hands and Kaminari's eyes enlarge.

"Hey, what happened?!" He crouches in front of her, pointing at her bruised cheek in panic.

"You don't look well, Taru-chan!" Mineta grabs onto her arm, pulling. "You should go to the nurse!"

If Mineta himself is panicking and not touching her or looking at her in a perverted way, she must look worse than she originally thought. She stares at them both mutely, and they stare right back at her uneasily. Her lips part and they tense in anticipation.

"S-Shoto." She whispers.

"Huh?" They say while tilting their heads, and they gasp at her next actions.

She grabs onto them both tightly, a sleek coat of moisture forming over her eyes. Her entire body trembles and she looks at them with a desperation like no other, her skin ice cold as she holds onto them.

"Please tell me you've seen Shoto!" She pleads, the sudden breeze ruffling up her hair.

Kaminari and Mineta exchange a brief glance, looking even more worried than before. However, confusion also shows on their features. Kaminari laughs a little forcefully and brings his hand to the back of his neck.

"...You didn't see him? He just walked by." He says, and Hotaru's silver orbs widen. "He's kind of hard to miss—"

"Taru-chan?!" Mineta suddenly yelps when suddenly stands.

Hotaru turns around rapidly, her hair whipping wildly. Her vision blurs in and out, passing over each individual student walking up the stairs. _Shoto passed by?_ How could she have missed him? Icy sweat trickles down her face. _There's no way._ If that's the case, then why doesn't she see— _there._

There's no mistaking that hair and poise. His back is to her as he ventures up the stairs leisurely. _He's here._ She lets out a relieved breath, but instantly afterwards she's in hysteria. He may be here, but is he alright? He's not hurt, is he? She needs to find out.

Before she even knows it, she's running up the stairs. She staggers more than a few times, feeling dizzy from moving so fast. Despite that, she keeps going. Kaminari and Mineta call after her but she ignores them. Shoto's form grows closer and closer. The moment she reaches the top of the stairs, she reaches out towards him. Her fingers are centimeters away from brushing against him, and perhaps she would've grabbed onto him if it wasn't for someone getting in her way.

A woman is blocking her path and holding a microphone. Hotaru blinks rapidly multiple times, realizing she's now surrounded by the press. Why are they here, and why so many? Did something happen? Her face grows pale.

Could the word have gotten out that she trespassed in the teachers' lounge? Did her father somehow sneak pass her and enter the school himself to steal All Might's schedule? So many troubling possibilities overflow within her, but only one thing plagues her like nothing else.

 _She lost sight of Shoto._

"Move—" She starts to say while trying to shove her way through.

"What's it like having All Might as a teacher?" The woman cuts her off, nearly smacking the microphone against her face. "Please, tell me!"

"I don't have time…! Move, I need to—!" Hotaru tries to shove her way through to no avail.

"What subject does All Might teach?!"

"Does the Symbol of Peace embolden students?!"

"Do you think All Might made the right choice by becoming a teacher?!"

"From your stand-point as a student, do you think All Might—?!"

"Shut up."

"...Eh?!"

The press surrounding Hotaru suddenly cowers. Not only was her "shut up" intimidating, her expression is now dark. Her silver eyes glow eerily from beneath her messy hair that has fallen over her face. Like a ferocious wolf, her teeth are bared. An intense villainous aura radiates off of her form, leaving everyone frozen stiff.

"I said shut up and move out of my way." Hotaru repeats in a low voice laced with venom, fists quivering at her sides in her angry state. "If you don't move, I'll force you too. If I have to force you, I can't guarantee any of you will be leaving here without a scratch. So, I'll say this one more time." Her luminous eyes glare at everyone blocking her way, sparks decorating her form. "Move out of the way!"

Those who are sane move aside, and those who are desperate and overcome with greed for information remain rooted in the same spot, which a surprising number. However, those that have moved opened up a path for her to walk down. At the end of the path is Shoto, and suddenly Hotaru is the one frozen stiff.

The look he's giving her is one of pure disgust. He heard her threat, sensed her threatening villainous aura, witnessed her nearly using her quirk on all of these people, and now he's glaring at her in a way that nearly knocks her off of her feet.

How is it that his glares only get more and more intense? She didn't think they could get any worse, but each time he proves her wrong. Her actions fueled his hatred towards her, but all she feels is a sense of relief.

He's looking at her and his face is as hateful as ever. The sunlight highlights all of his appealing facial features, also making his heterochromia eyes shine brightly. Not a scratch tarnishes him, and Hotaru can't help but to let out a relieved breath. _He's okay,_ yet she strangely feels even more troubled than before.

"Wait…! I knew she looked familiar!" The startled voice of a male journalist makes her look over. "That face, those eyes, that quirk…!" He takes a wobbly step back. "She resembles Lightning Beast!"

"I thought him having a daughter was just a rumor, but…!"

The press's questions about All Might are suddenly turned into questions about her. She hears things such as, "Why is she here?" and even "Is U.A. doing shady business that involves working with villains?"

All of their words weigh heavily on her, and she raises her hand over her face as if to shield it from sight. Her silver eyes and dark hair, her face and quirk, everything about herself makes her feel insecure and it never has before. Never in her life has the fact that she resembles her parents so much bother her. _She hates it._ As if to compliment that, insults sound out.

"How does it feel to have your father's ugly face?" One man yells out with a mocking laugh. Hotaru's eye twitches in annoyance. Should she shock him?

"Why are you even here? You want to be a hero? Ha! Delusional rat." A woman calls out, and Hotaru sighs while scratching at her scalp. Should she shock her, too?

Hotaru lowers her hand from her face, feeling like a screeching kettle that's on the verge of boiling over. She draws in multiple deep breaths, blocking their voices out. What they're saying isn't relevant, just disappointing. _Well, whatever._ She has more important things to worry about than people's opinions of her, _like her father's threat_. Her brows furrow in thought.

She seen Shoto and confirmed that he is unharmed, but why hasn't this sense of panic gone away? She feels even more edgy than before. Why is the press here today of all days, and why so many? Something isn't right.

Her pulse thuds loudly in her ears and goosebumps form all over her skin despite the warm air. She brings her hand over her chest, her fingers curling into the fabric of her attire. Then, it's as if she's hit by a truck. All the air hurls out of her body and her eyes grow wide. It all makes sense now. Why the press is here, and why there are so many of them… _it's because…!_

"A cover." She whispers inaudibly, looking around promptly.

Among all these reporters, someone must be hiding. _A villain_. It can't be her father. Even though it's possible he may have sneaked passed her last night, she's going to overlook that and focus on the now.

Assuming he never did show up last night, he wouldn't be hiding among these people. He stands out like a sore thumb, and he wouldn't so recklessly reveal to the world that he's really alive. Also, he was solely relying on her to steal the list. Yes, he didn't have a backup plan for her betrayal. He probably never showed up at all. Either way, _it's not him._

However, the people he was working with did have a back-up plan. No, _this was their plan from the start_. They never needed her father or her. Just who exactly are these people? Why would her father try to work with them? She has so many questions, but the answers don't matter.

She finds herself staring into atrocious red eyes. Her quivering lips part and all the blood drains from her face. Droplets of sweat form on her temple and she takes a step back. The man concealed in eerie hands, _Shigaraki_ , is here. He's standing in the far back, unnoticed by everyone but her.

Even though there is a hand masking most of his face, she can sense his wicked smile. The world around her blurs but he remains clear. What's he planning? Is he here to attack? Her quivering lips slowly part and terror overtakes her as his threat from last night comes forth in her mind.

•

" _Don't mess up." He says, pointing his finger at her when the remnants of the vase falls away. He gives a twisted grin. "If you do… this may just happen to you."_

•

Intense lighting forms in her palm and her fingers mimic the shape of a gun. She takes aim at him quickly, planting her feet firmly onto the ground. The press around her screams in fear and habitually starts to scatter. Just a mere few milliseconds before she unleashes her attack, Shigaraki brings a single finger over where his mouth would be, and she can almost swear she hears him whisper.

"Be quiet."

A hand suddenly comes down onto her shoulder, making her jump and look away from Shigaraki. Aizawa is standing next to her, giving her a severe and disapproving look because of her obvious pending attack.

"What are you doing?" He questions heavily.

Hotaru doesn't answer. Instead, she looks back ahead while keeping her quirk active. Her breath gets caught in her throat and her hand falls back to her side. _He's gone._ Shigaraki is gone. She breathes heavily and looks around rapidly in panic.

"Where…? How…?" She breathes out. What she needs to do next is obvious. She needs to find him, _fast_. But, she can't leave Aizawa.

 _Aizawa._

What if Shigaraki hurts Aizawa? What if he hurts Mineta and Kaminari? Midoriya? Shoto? All Might? _Anyone?_ What's he planning? It doesn't matter. What she said to her father last night applies to Shigaraki, too. If he hurts anyone here, she'll kill him. But, _his quirk_.

It's dangerous. She doesn't know how it works. Is just being in his sight enough for him to use it? She doesn't even know how Shigaraki fairs in fighting. By his looks, and how her father wanted to work with him, he must be very skilled. Because of that, she needs to run.

"Sensei," She grabs onto his hand with both of hers, her quirk having diminished completely. She tugs on his arm, gazing at him desperately. "W-we need to—"

She can't finish, because suddenly he's dragging her towards the school's entry gates with a miffed sigh. The press habitually move out of their way, seemingly just as uncomfortable around Aizawa as they are with her.

"H-Hey, what's your deal? You're just as scruffy as she is!" A woman calls out. She suddenly shakes her head to diminish her thoughts of their appearance and stomps after them when they pass through the gate. "Let me see All Might—!"

The moment she tries to pass through the gate, alarms sound off and it slams shut with a loud bang. The press's loud voices are now muffled, and Hotaru stares at the U.A. barrier with widened eyes. Her eyes are drawn away from the gate when Aizawa frees his hand from her grasp.

"What has you so shaken up that you'd nearly release such a large scaled attack among that many people?" He questions with his scratchy voice, eyeing the bruise on her cheek. She takes a step back, giving him a low and apologetic bow.

"I'm sorry." She apologizes, gradually straightening up as she starts to look around warily once more. "I… don't like crowds."

Even though they are now on school grounds and behind a prodigious security gate system, she still doesn't feel relaxed. Did Shigaraki sneak in before the gates closed? She starts to take steps away from Aizawa to scout out the area. _She needs to find—_

"Did you choose yet?" Aizawa's voice makes her freeze, and she slowly looks over her shoulder at him.

"...Choose?" She murmurs, and his eyes narrow slightly. His eyes are zoned in on her bruised cheek, and she brings her fingers over it with a slight wince. "Oh… right."

He's asking if she has made up her mind yet, _asking her what path she's chosen._ She lowers her hand from her cheek and faces him. Her arms wrap around her midsection and her head ducks.

"Well… it was more of a spur of the moment type of thing… I think." She swallows thickly. "But, I'm going somewhere. The path I choose, I don't even know it."

"That's not what I meant." He says, making her gasp quietly. "Like a boulder underwater, you're not going anywhere."

"What?" She instantly bites out, glaring. "Sensei, you don't know anything about the crap I went through last night. You should be on your knees and thanking me right now!"

"Then, want to tell me what happened?" He smoothly asks, pointing at her cheek. She tenses from head to toe. "Who did you see just now that terrifies you so much? And who exactly did you get into a brawl with to cause that swelling bruise? Tell me why I should be thanking you."

Her jaw locks and she redirects her gaze towards the ground. As always, Aizawa is very straightforward and smooth. Her cheek stings and she resists the urge to hold onto it. She can't tell him. This is her battle, and she doesn't want her father to set Aizawa in his sights. She's worried about his threat, and Shigaraki's too.

"...I can't say."

"Figures." He sighs, walking towards her and pressing his finger firmly against her forehead, and her eyes narrow. "Am I going to have to force it out of you, problem-child?"

Hotaru's lips remain firmly clamped together and she stares at him unwaveringly, a clear sign to him that she's not going to speak of it no matter what he does. He lets out yet another miffed sigh and lowers his hand.

"Go to the nurse's office to tend to your injuries then hurry to class before you're late."

After those words, he walks off and leaves her staring after him. Earlier when he asked if she had chosen yet, he was asking if she was going to finally ask for help, not what path she has chosen. He said like a boulder underwater, she's not going anywhere. Could he be implying that she can't go anywhere unless she asks for help?

Drawing in a shaky breath, she looks over her shoulder and at the thick metal barrier. Her eyes bore into it and she swallows. There's no way Shigaraki could break through something that thick and sturdy, right?

•○●○•

Hotaru never went to the nurse's office. She would rather deal with the stinging of the bruise on her cheek than sacrifice the little energy she has left for Recovery Girl to heal it. If something happens, such as Shigaraki or even her father infiltrating the building, she'll need that energy.

Her silver eyes stare at the open notebook on her desk, and her hand grips a freshly sharpened pencil. She presses the point of it against the paper, spaced out and lost in thought instead of paying attention to Aizawa going over everyone's performance yesterday in the combat training.

Shigaraki won't recklessly break through that barrier, and she's sure this school has an alarm system. Him breaking through it will give him away. But, there's also the possibility he could've snuck in before the barriers went up. Her grip on her pencil tightens so much that her knuckles turn white.

She needs to scout out the entire building. That's what she should do right now. But, she doesn't want to let Shoto out of her sight. Her father is targeting him and it's all her fault. It's best to stay here… _right?_ She pushes her pencil more strongly against the paper, and the lead of it breaks.

"Aihara." Aizawa's voice drags her out of her thoughts. She jumps and quickly looks up.

"Y-yes?" She answers a little too quickly and at a high-pitch. With how everyone is gazing at her, it's evident Aizawa had to address her multiple times.

"Quit spacing out." Aizawa grumbles in irritation. "Congratulations on being the MVP of your round. However, you need to be more confident and consider what's best for not just you, but those around you. There's no need for you to do such risky things all by yourself."

She slowly nods, and shortly afterwards the class is in an uproar about choosing a class representative. She doesn't participate, spacing out once again.

It's shocking to her how All Might chose her as the MVP of her combat training round. Why was she chosen? It makes her feel a tiny bit of happiness, but she's only able to feel that for a short moment. Aizawa's feedback is what reels her in the most.

He wasn't just talking about the combat training, but the whole situation she's caught up in. She slouches forward onto her desk, looking up and over at Shoto who's currently writing down his vote for class rep.

What's best not just for her, but him too. She's just been trying to do what's best for him. Is everything she's done up till now in vain? Is she even doing what's best for him? It doesn't matter if she does what's best for herself, she's going to die either way. She really is like a boulder trapped underwater. She curses under her breath, tangling her hands into her hair.

"...Why are heroes always right?" She whispers, shifting her gaze over to Aizawa who's wrapped up in his sleeping bag on the floor. _What's best for everyone around her… including herself._ This wasn't how her plan was supposed to go.

Despite all the noise of her classmates surrounding her, she manages to hear the clattering sound of a pencil dropping. For a moment she thinks it's her own until she looks down, seeing a different pencil rolling over and hitting her shoe. She reaches downwards and picks it up, and upon straightening up her eyes meet Shoto's piercing ones. Of course, this would be his pencil.

His crude gaze falters only slightly when he takes notice of the unpleasant bruise on her cheek, but then it returns full force. He's probably thinking she's done something nefarious to receive this injury, like a back-alley brawl of some sorts. He holds out his hand, obviously demanding his pencil back.

He's within reaching distance so she can easily hand it over to him. However, she doesn't. She stands up and takes short steps over to his desk, handing it to him like that. She was planning on getting up anyways.

"That's quite a bruise." He speaks bluntly, snatching his pencil back. "Do I even want to know how you got it?"

"Well, when you do something that upsets your parents," She begins, smiling softly. "You tend to get hit, don't you?"

His eyes widen slightly at her answer he didn't expect. She gives a small bow and proceeds to venture to the front of the classroom. As she walks, her eyes roam over all of her classmates. They are stilled fired up about choosing a class representative. So happy and innocent, _while she's just plain stupid._

Aizawa looks over at Hotaru as she comes to a stop by his side. She crouches down next to him, hugging her knees. All she does is stare at him like a lost puppy. His eyes narrow impatiently.

"If you have something to say, then say it." He says, and she looks to the ground.

"After lunch…" She whispers, her fingers curling into the fabric of her attire. "Can we talk?"

•○●○•

Asking to talk with Aizawa after lunch, was that the right thing to do? She's not sure what's right and wrong anymore. Her whole head is disorderly. She looks around the lunch room packed with countless students.

The lunch hour has approached rapidly and seems to be passing by just as fast, which means she's going to have to spill the beans to Aizawa _very_ soon. Yes, she decided to tell him about her disappointing life and this even more disappointing situation she's caught up in.

Thinking now, it's not just Shoto who's in danger and the few other classmates she cares about, _but this whole school._ This whole school is in danger, and Shigaraki and Kurogiri are planning to attack All Might. She's not all that worried about the Symbol of Peace. Who could possibly scratch someone as great as him? She's worried about the students, that's what made her decide to speak up.

There's no way she can protect them all by herself, and warning the school is the best move. It's obvious that's the right decision, but why is her stomach churning even more than before? She almost feels nauseous. More importantly, she feels like she's forgetting something.

She leans back against the wall, taking a sip from the chocolate milk carton she holds in her hands. There's a large window next to her the shows off U.A.'s beautiful campus, but she focuses on the reflection of the lunch room on the sleek glass. She stares at Shoto who's still unscratched. He's sitting alone and unbothered, eating his lunch.

She turns her head and actually looks at him. He's digging into his Zaru Soba, and her eyes widen slightly. Seeing him eat that of all things makes her feel relieved that something about him hasn't changed at all. He's still a sucker for cold soba. She briefly wonders what other things haven't changed, and wonders even more about why seeing him unharmed makes her feel so much worry.

Her father is usually one to act quick. She's sure he knows where the Todoroki house is due to his bloodthirsty obsession with Endeavor, and he obviously knows all too well how much she cared about Shoto. She still cares for him deep down, that's something she can't deny. She cares about him more than anyone else if she's being honest. So, why hasn't her father made his move?

Alarms brings her out of her thoughts along with the frightful cries of students. The whole room is in a frenzy in a matter of seconds and everyone has scattered. She grows pale at the words being spoken from the intercom.

"There has been a level 3 security breach. All students please evacuate outdoors promptly."

Hotaru pushes herself off from the wall, her milk carton dropping to the floor. _A level 3 security breach?_ Meaning someone bypassed the school barrier? _Shigaraki?_ Was it him? It has to be. Why now when school activity is at its peak?

Normally she would consider someone breaking into a building like this during the day just plain stupid, but she thinks the opposite now. She gets the feeling he wants everyone to panic. He has a master plan and is extremely dangerous. Why else would just hearing his name cause her blood run cold?

Although this room is mostly made of glass to let natural lighting in, it grows darker. To some it would look like a cloud simply covered the sun, and perhaps she would think that herself if something bright didn't catch her attention.

Hotaru slowly looks over and at a nearby power outlet. She remains deathly still as she stares at it despite the students rushing past her. She prays she was just seeing things, but that prayer is instantly rendered worthless.

Right there and seeping out of the power outlet is a bright blue she recognizes instantly. Why the power shut off and now of all times is as clear as day. Shigaraki isn't alone. He's not capable of pulling off a power outage like this.

 _Her father is with him._

The loud sounds around her fade away and are replaced with a ringing noise in her ears. That's all she can hear as she turns her attention away from the outlet. The ringing grows even louder when she sees Shoto gone. Where did he go?

She begins breathing rapidly with short breaths. Her feet move on their own, taking steps aimlessly as her eyes continue to search in panic. She needs to protect him. That's what she's been trying to do this whole time. If she doesn't find him, if something happens to him, she'll never be able to— _there_.

She only catches a short glimpse of his hair amongst a crowd exiting the cafeteria. Before she even knows it, she's running full speed. Her thoughts are in a frenzy and the room feels as if it's spinning, but her legs are moving on their own in order to reach him.

Once she passes through the doorway is when the shoving begins. Students taller and stronger than her push against her. She nearly loses her footing more times than she can count on her fingers. Everyone is slowing her down and blocking her path. Soon she can no longer see Shoto and cold sweat breaks out on her temple.

A push against her back makes her fall forward and onto her hands and knees, the impact causing more bruises like the one on her cheek. Surely she would shock whoever done that if it wasn't for this desperation she feels. Nothing else in this world matters to her. All she cares about is reaching him.

It's only by some miracle she stands, and it's only a bigger miracle that a path opens up that leads to him seemingly only for her. Her feet pound against the ground as she runs, both of her hands reaching out as that path starts to close. She pushes herself to move faster and she yells out.

"Shoto!"

Shoto staggers forward when he feels a body crash against his back, freezing when he feels two hands curled into the fabric of his shirt, and nearly gasping when he looks over his shoulder to see none other than Hotaru. He feels a surge of irritation until her face that was buried between his shoulder blades looks up at him.

Her silver eyes are glossy, and her face is as pale as a sheet. He can feel her body trembling like a frightened puppy. That bruise on her cheek stands out greatly and she looks as if she's going to pass out. When their eyes meet something surges stirs in his chest. The last time he had seen that expression of hers was the day their entire friendship fell apart.

"S-Shoto," She begins, barely able to speak from her quivering lips. Hearing her say his first name so desperately makes his lips part in surprise. "I know everyone is leaving, b-but you can't go out there."

Her words make him think she's behind this whole thing. He turns away from her, his surprise morphing into disgust. Why would he listen to her of all people? A selfish villain who only cares about herself? Her grip on him tightens and she tugs on his shirt.

"Please!"

He looks over his shoulder at her once again with a scowl, getting ready to tell her off. However, seeing her silver orbs shine with fear makes his scowl falter. If she was behind this entire thing, would she really be looking as fearful as she does now?

Shoto continues to stare at her wide-eyed form from over his shoulder, frozen in place despite the many bodies of panicked students shoving past them and towards the exit. Even though her knees suddenly hit the ground, her hand remains tangled into the fabric of his shirt.

"Don't go out there… please." Hotaru whispers, her grip growing weaker. "S-Stay here. I'll do anything if you'd just stay."

He doesn't respond and her hand falls from his shirt when he moves out of her reach. Her insides constrict and everything starts to spin again. It's dark and she suddenly feels like she's suffocating. Then, Shoto crouches down next to her.

"What's wrong with you? Just breathe."

"Breathe?" She repeats inaudibly. He gives her a pointed look.

Oh, _she's not breathing._

She gasps desperately, bringing both hands over her chest as she tries to get a hold of herself. Color gradually starts to return to her face, and she closes her eyes, feeling her rapidly beating heart level out. Someone bumps into her from behind and her eyes fly open.

Whether it was intentional or not, merely out of reflex or concern, neither of them could say. Shoto's hands reach out and steady her before she can topple over, and she reaches out towards him. Their eyes meet and not a single word can form on their tongues. Surprise shows on their features.

Shoto, the first to recover, narrows his eyes into their usual glare. Hotaru looks to the ground, only to let out a gasp when she's suddenly hauled onto her feet and being dragged off to the side.

She stares wide-eyed at the back of Shoto's head, then redirects her gaze to his hand gripping her wrist and dragging her along. Her cheeks feel oddly warm along with the organ in her chest. But, there's a numbness to go along with those things.

He dragged her along like this once before, but only back then his touch was so tender. Now it's rigid and nothing else, _and she can't blame him for it_.

Soon enough Hotaru finds herself by the wall where there are fewer bodies rampaging by. Shoto releases her wrist and faces her with an icy coldness. She finds herself nervous under his gaze. Why did he drag her over here? But more importantly, _why did he console her just now?_

"I'll stay." He says, and relief floods into her. She starts to smile.

"Really—?" She begins, only to be cut off.

"And in return you'll do anything I say, right? If you were lying I'll take my leave right now."

Just like that, her smile fades as she recalls her words. The seriousness on his face shakes her to the core. She should've said something else, but she was too desperate. Even now she's desperate. If he does leave, he'll be in danger. Everything she's done up until now will be for nothing. She would've signed that death certificate for nothing. She can't let him leave, _no matter what._

"Right," She murmurs, gazing at his chest absentmindedly. "Anything you want, just tell me and I'll do it. But, only if you stay inside."

She looks up and into his eyes, unwavering and showing she truly means what she said. He catches on instantly, and as expected, he gets to the point.

"Whatever it is you're trying to do, your plan or whatever your scheming, you'll stop." He practically commands in a low and dangerous tone, then spitting out what he believes her to be. " _Villain._ "

Her eyelids lower. _If only he knew_. If only he knew everything she's doing is because of him. Why she's even here, why she went against her father, why she's begging him to stay here, _she wishes he knew._

"What if I told you, that all I've been trying to do is protect you?" She says.

"I'd tell you that you're more dumb than I originally thought."

 _Ouch._

That makes the organ in her chest sting and drop into the pit of her stomach. Those words hurt, but it's the truth. So, she can't be angry. She extends her pinky finger and holds it up to him.

"Then I'd say you're right." She whispers, and judging by the widening of his eyes, he wasn't expecting that. "I, Hotaru Aihara, promise to stop right here and now. I won't act on my plan, and starting now I'll no longer act as a villain but rather as a hero. So, I hope one day, Todoroki-san," She smiles. "That you'll see me as that."

He stares at her pinky finger that's waiting for his own to seal the promise. His heterochromia then stare into her anticipating silver ones. _Is she serious?_ She really is dumber than he originally thought.

Wordlessly, he folds his arms over his chest and turns away from her. He doesn't wrap his pinky around hers to seal the promise, refusing to touch her. However, he doesn't walk away. He stays just like he said he would.

Hotaru smiles and lowers her hand, turning away from him as well but remaining next to him. She feels queerly happy, but only for a moment. As she stares at the chaos of students before her, her insides knot up. Why does she still feel so uneasy? What exactly… _is she forgetting?_

•○●○•

Thanks to Iida, the chaos among the students died down. He calmed everyone by revealing it was just the press on school property, but Hotaru is the only one who remains skeptical. That's what Shigaraki wants everyone to think. Not only that, even though everyone has returned to the classrooms, the teachers aren't present. Did something happen?

Hotaru sits at her desk and as nervous as ever, feeling like a child on the way to the doctor's office for a shot. Why does she have the feeling that something terrible is about to happen? Or, did that terrible thing already happen? She lets out a heavy breath, turning her attention over to her bag on the ground.

She wants to think she's just being paranoid, but she can't bring herself too. Her chin rests in the palm of her hand as sweat trickles down her face. What is wrong with her? Her fingers are trembling, and she feels nauseous once again. She's not forgetting to breathe again, is she?

Shaking her head lightly, she starts to slouch forward onto her desk. The change of her position makes something glistening catch her eyes. She pauses and stares at the koi keychain attached to her bag, and her world becomes black and white.

•

" _Tell me… Taru, is there someone you care about? If so… you've just signed their death certificate."_

•

Her chair topples over with a loud bang that echoes throughout the classroom. Any chattering among her classmates stop and they look towards her, growing uneasy at her sunken eyes and ghostly appearance. She's standing, seemingly horrified.

"T-Taru-chan…?" Mineta questions frightfully, then the classroom door opens.

Instead of it just being Aizawa on the other side, Nezu, Midnight, and Present Mic are accompanying him, _along with a police officer_. Their eyes instantly lock onto Hotaru almost as if she's committed a crime. All Might appears and not with his usual grin, and that's when everyone puts the pieces together.

"Young Aihara," All Might begins, disappointment evident in his tone. "You must come with us."

All eyes are on her, and she slowly straightens her posture even though all these stares attempt to make her crumble to the ground. So, _that's it_. She's now backed into a corner. Somehow, those villains have turned everyone into her enemy. _She's been set up_.

Was this part of her father's plan from the very beginning? Was he secretly double-crossing her like she was to him? Or, was this Shigaraki's doing? Either way, she doesn't have time for this. What she was forgetting, she now knows and she's a fool to have forgotten.

Hotaru faces the heroes at the doorway, and her fingers curl. Her eyes meet Aizawa's narrowed ones. A tiny spark emits from body, Midnight tears her sleeve, All Might gets ready along with everyone else, then the temperature rises.

Hotaru darts forward with a blinding light, moving like she's lightning itself. She's in the hallway before anyone can blink, far from the classroom, but then suddenly her quirk is taken away. Her forced change of speed nearly makes her fall, and perhaps she would've if it wasn't for Aizawa's capture weapon holding her captive and All Might grabbing ahold of her.

She looks over her shoulder and into his glowing red eyes, struggling desperately. It was stupid of her to think she had even the tiniest of chances to slip by these great heroes, but her feet just moved on their own. It's just like back during the entrance exam.

"No, no, no!" She screams bloody murder. "Let me go!"

"Young Aihara—" All Might starts, but her voice overpowers his.

"Daichi!" She chokes out. "H-He's in trouble! Please, let me save him! Just this once," Tears fill her eyes. "Let me be the hero I always wanted to be!"

His grip loosens on her in surprise, but his eyes spark with something she can't quite make out. Shortly afterwards his grip is gone from her entirely and so is Aizawa's capture weapon, and her quirk returns in its fullest.

She doesn't question what prompted them to let her go, or trust her even. She never knows what they're up to. Not once does she look back as she moves as fast as she possibly can. Even though she's lacking so much energy, adrenaline fuels her.

Before she knows it she's no longer on school grounds and surfing across power lines to get to her destination. People are startled and are quickly casted into mayhem at her quirk, but she doesn't care. _Daichi._ She needs to get to him.

Her destination is in view and she hops down from the powerline, blue sparks left behind on its thin surface. She lands sloppily on the sidewalk and sprints towards the small fish store, winded. Even though the sign says closed, she bursts through the glass doors.

Her face is glistening with sweat, and her breaths are nothing but heaves. She looks around the sleek checkered floors than don't have a single speck of dust on them, and the spotless fish tanks that healthy fish are inhabited. The lights overhead are on and the fishy air fills her nostrils. Nothing is out of the ordinary.

She brings her hand over her chest, curling it into the fabric of her shirt. Even though nothing seems to be wrong, she won't believe everything is fine until she finds Daichi. He doesn't seem to be here. Could he be at the park? He must be. She'll check there.

Turning, she runs towards the door. The moment her fingers curl around the frigid handle, she pauses. If he isn't here, why is the door unlocked? She turns back around, peering deeper into the aquarium store.

"Daichi?" She calls out, and all that greets her the echoing of her own voice. No, she shouldn't leave yet. Something tells her she shouldn't.

She ventures further into the shop, inspecting every inch of it. Her shoes squeak against the floor as she turns down different aisles of fish tanks. The rippling water reflects on the wall and her form, and the occasional splashing of water resonates.

Everything is normal. There's nothing wrong. Was she just being paranoid? Did she throw a childish fit in front of the heroes for nothing? As soon as she thinks that, something on the ground catches her eyes. It's red and thick, slowly spreading across the ground.

 _Blood._

Her breath gets caught in her throat and she darts forward, looking around the counter harboring the cash register. Her insides ice over in terror and she forgets how to breathe entirely, screaming out.

"D-Daichi!"

She skids to a stop by his form sprawled out on the cold ground, crouching next to him instantly. The blood is coming from a wound on the back of his head. His eyes are shut in pain and if it wasn't for his light groan, she would think he was unconscious. She takes his face into her hands, leaning over him with tearful eyes.

"Are you okay?! What happened?!" She asks, watching as his eyes groggily crack open. Shaking her head desperately, she speaks some more. "W-Wait, don't answer that. Save your energy. H-Hang on…!"

Her hands reach into her pockets. He doesn't look good. How long has he been bleeding like this? She needs to call someone. _An ambulance_. Where's her phone? It's not in her pockets. Realizing she left her phone in the classroom along with her other belongings make her numb. Daichi mumbles something incomprehensible and she shoots him a look.

"I-I said stop talking!" She straightens up and searches for a phone on one of the shelves, moving things around. "You'll die at this rate!"

She pushes neatly organized books aside along with other knick-knacks, making them fall to the ground. There has to be a phone somewhere. Why wouldn't there be? She sees a faintly flashing light on the bottom shelf that resembles the light of a digital telephone. _There._ The moment she reaches towards it Daichi's hand shoots out and grips her arm in a bruising grip. Then, his mumbling grow more clear.

"...R-Run…!" He chokes out when her eyes find out what that light is much too late.

A rapid beeping noise fills the air before everything is suddenly deathly silent, and Hotaru's eyes grow impossibly wide at the countdown before her that just hit zero. A loud explosion erupts, _and all she sees are red hot flames._

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Underwater

❤•○●○•❤

She stares into the black eyes before her, gripping the hands fastened around her neck. Her quirk intensifies but his hands remain in the same place and merely grow tighter. Nothing is working. Everything is going according to _his_ plan.

Her body grows heavy and her eyelids start to fall. Not even a single breath can enter her body. There's nothing she can do, it's just like Aizawa said. She's the heaviest of boulders at the bottom of the sea. Underwater, _t_ _rapped._ All she can do is whisper weakly through falling tears in one last feeble attempt to resurface.

"H-Help."


	14. Underwater

**Potato-Faye:** hahaa~ thank you!

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 **aarime** : sorry for the wait! i've been really busy these days. (;﹏;) college is hard. but i'm trying my best~~ thanks for your patience. please enjoy this chapter!

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•

 **thank you so much to everyone once again! it really does make me happy knowing you guys are enjoying this. i hope everyone enjoys this chapter too and i apologize for any errors.** ❤

 **thank you for reading!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Underwater

❤•○●○•❤

An explosion loud enough to cause a ringing in the ears that lingers for a short time afterwards. Flames hot enough to singe hair and blazing enough to cause sweat to form in an instant. Those flames, they shine bright, eating away at everything in its path. There's no mercy, _only destruction_.

The flames engulfing the building reflect in Hotaru's widened eyes. She pants heavily, staring in pure horror at the scene before her while cradling Daichi's head against her chest. Shattered glass is scattered about along with chunks of brick. Distant screams of startled people gradually grow more apparent to her from the back alley she's in.

She winces, gritting her teeth together at the fresh bruises and cuts she received, as well as the thick metallic liquid spreading across her tongue. As soon as that bomb went off, she didn't think. She used her quirk carelessly, exerting everything in order to get Daichi to safety out the closest back door. That's all she could do, and even her all doesn't seem like it was nearly enough. Things only got much worse.

Tearing her eyes away from the scene before her, she looks down at Daichi. His green eyes are cracked open, the flames reflecting in them. That sad expression he wears tears her heart to shreds. Everything he worked so hard on was destroyed.

Adorning his skin are cuts and bruises like her own, though none of them seem to be fatal or anything to be too concerned about. She's still far more worried about the wound on the back of his head, how she failed to keep him from getting injured further, and how her quirk may have put him through even more pain.

This is the first time she used her quirk in front of him. She had her speculations about him knowing her true identity before, but whether he knew or not doesn't matter anymore. If he knew, now he has his proof. If he didn't know, now he does. Her fingers tremble. Once again, these things don't matter. What he thinks of her doesn't matter. All she cares about right here and now is his own well-being.

"I…" She says thickly, swallowing with a tight throat. He was in contact with her when she used his quirk. "Didn't hurt you, did I?"

His olive greens orbs meet her glossy silver ones. Her chest grows painfully tight, almost as if a boa constrictor is coiling around the organ pumping blood through her veins. The corners of his lips curve upwards.

"No. Just felt… a-a little staticky." He answers weakly, and she lets out a relieved breath.

Limiting the amount of lightning generating outside of her body seemed to do the trick, it seems. Nevertheless, he doesn't look surprised at all which answers a question she claimed didn't matter. Yet, she can't help but to comment on it.

"This whole time, you knew who I was."

He smiles some more with a small nod. She feels moisture sticking to her eyelashes and she lets out a breath heavier than the rest. Anything else they want to say needs to wait. Time is growing short and Hotaru's fingers tremble further. She needs to get Daichi to the hospital somehow.

Her inwardly panicking lessens when she hears approaching sirens in the distance. Surely those emergency vehicles are heading this way, and an ambulance must be among them.

All she can do right now is sit and wait for help to arrive for Daichi. She looks back towards the flame engulfed building, and her jaw locks. Another thing she needs to do is find out who exactly is behind this. Her father's face flashes across her vision and her entire body starts trembling. Not in fear, but pure anger.

There must be some kind of bloodlust or villainous aura spewing from her, because Daichi gives her a look that clearly says, "calm down." She can't. It's her fault things turned out like this. Because of her, Daichi got hurt. Everything he worked so hard on was destroyed.

"I-It's not your fault… you didn't do this…" Daichi barely gets out, reading her easily. "D-Don't blame yourself…"

He may be right. She didn't put the bomb inside of the shop, she didn't hurt him, but all of this happened because of her. If only she gotten here sooner, _if only she decided to ask for help sooner._

She only tries to calm herself down at Daichi's request. The last thing she wants is for him to spend whatever energy he has left to calm her down. He needs to cling to whatever energy he has in order to stay alive. If he dies, _she'll never forgive herself._

Her angry quivers gradually start to slow along with her hasty breaths. She's nearly successful in calming down entirely until she hears a sinister laugh. That laugh only makes her anger return full force and stronger. She looks to the side and further down the alley.

Standing a little ways away is a tall and lanky man, scruffy in appearance with his mangled attired. The black smoke from the fire blows onto his form, making him look even more like the villain he already is. He sneers and his stubbled cheeks rise. The murderous aura he gives off is intense, but she's entirely unfazed, especially with this anger running through her veins.

Hotaru carefully helps Daichi prop up against the wall, and he stares at the villain with fearful eyes before looking at Hotaru. He opens his mouth to tell her just to run, but she brings a single finger over her lips to silence him. No way in the world would she run away, especially in a situation like this.

She straightens up and faces the villain, taking a few steps closer to him so Daichi is out of range from any cross-fire. Her narrowed and bitter eyes meet his black ones, and his nasty grin grows in size as he takes her in, not being discreet at all when it comes to eyeing her up and down. He chuckles.

"Were you behind this?" Hotaru asks, and he shrugs.

"I was just passing by." He extends his arms, chuckling some more as he looks around the scene of destruction. It's painfully obvious he's lying.

"Passing by or not, the fact that you're here and laughing at this scene disgusts me. If you're not going to offer any help, you should leave while you still have the chance."

"Now, why would I do that?" He flexes his fingers.

"It'll show that you value your life. If you stay, surely you know what'll happen." Hotaru flexes her own fingers, vivid blue sparks decorating them.

Normally, most villains run off when they see her quirk. They know how dangerous it is and who it originated from. However, this man doesn't back off and is waiting eagerly. Hotaru hates to admit it, but she's starting to feel uneasy.

Does he have a quirk strong enough to counter her own? Or, is he just stupid? Either way, even though it feels like she could pass out from all the smoke present and the fatigue she's been feeling all day, _she can't let him come any closer to Daichi._

He takes a step forward and she takes aim at him in warning, her fingers mimicking the shape of a gun while lightning gathers. He takes another step forward with an unchanging poise, and that's when Hotaru doesn't hesitate to send lightning his way.

Blue illuminates their surroundings and a low crack of thunder rumbles. Her lightning swallows him up and she lowers her hand, knowing he'll be knocked unconscious from the voltage she used. Using her quirk time and time again, she learned what voltage could paralyze someone, knock them unconscious, and kill them entirely. However, when everything clears, he's still standing and unscratched.

"...What?" She breathes out, appalled, moving her arm over her mouth to muffle a cough due to the fumy air. He merely laughs and continues to advance.

How is he entirely unfazed by her attack? Her teeth grit together, baring. It must be in relation to his quirk. Does he have an electricity quirk like herself? If he does, it's natural that he would be somewhat resistant to electrical elements. However, to be resistant to this degree makes her think that's unlikely. Not impossible, but unlikely. Either way, he must have a weakness. Everyone does.

It's evident that she needs to spend more energy than she originally thought, _energy she doesn't have._ After that long night, not sleeping a wink and skipping all kinds of meals, rashly using her quirk to get to Daichi and save him, she doesn't have any to spare. All she can do is go beyond, _plus ultra._

He continues to advance, clearly amused at her shocked expression. He's growing closer and closer, and in an attempt to keep him from coming closer to Daichi, she meets him halfway.

She darts forward, lighting coating her body and compelling her body to perform more competently than normal. When she grows close, she twists her body, raising her leg for a swift kick that'll shock him severely upon contact. Yet, somehow, he's still unfazed.

Hotaru's silver eyes enlarge when he raises her arm and blocks her kick. Him being able to block makes her aware that her body is slowing down, and more importantly, his quirk isn't one of electricity. In fact, her lightning isn't even traveling into his body. At this range, she can easily see that.

 _What is his quirk?_

Even though her leg is pressed against his forearm, his hand abnormally stretches and grabs hold of her ankle. She gasps and tries to break free, but not only is his grip strong, her quirk is practically useless. Before she even knows it, her other foot isn't even on the ground anymore. She's being held upside down like some kind of rag-doll, face to face with this vile villain. His black eyes stare into her silver ones.

"Your quirk won't work on me." He laughs out, and she glares intensely. Instantly after those words, she finds herself being slung with great force into the nearby brick wall.

The air is knocked from her lungs and her entire beings rattles upon impact. For a brief moment, she sees nothing but stars as her body tumbles to the ground. She falls to her hands and knees, just barely hearing Daichi call out to her in worry. _She's slipping._ Her fingers curl, nails scraping against the concrete ground. Her vision blurs in and out, and it clicks.

 _Rubber._

That's what his disgusting hand felt like the moment it gripped her ankle. With the texture of his skin and the way his arm stretched so abnormally, it's safe to assume his quirk has to do with rubber. She lets out a dry laugh. So, he's like a rubber band? That's just too perfect. As if her lightning can do anything against a resistant component.

She slowly looks up, seeing him walk past Daichi and towards her. He's not interested in him, only her. She must've been his target from the very being. There's no doubt he was behind this whole thing, but the true mastermind must be her father. He wouldn't choose just anyone to go against her, and the fact that he's not going against her himself makes it clear how much of a coward he is.

"You should just give up now. You don't stand a chance." He smirks as he closes in on her. "If you do, I'll kill you softly. You won't feel a thing."

Hotaru slowly smirks herself, straightening up and rising onto her wobbly feet. She raises her hand, brushing her frizzy mess of hair back, ignoring how she feels lightheaded and dizzy. Her almost lazy and uncaring expression seems to strike a chord in him, because now he's glaring daggers and seeping out more bloodlust.

"Giving up is not an option. My quirk may be useless against you, but there are other things I can do." She smiles.

A twisted expression capable of even making Daichi shudder crosses her features. Her pupils shrink and her index finger taps against her cheek. She lets out a soft laugh that almost resembles a childish giggle, a villainous aura of her own spreading. Right now, she is clearly imitating her mother perfectly, _all in hopes to get this villain to back off._ A pure attempt to intimidate and bluff.

"I can stretch you until you snap. Or," She makes her eyes glow. "Heat you up until you melt into a puddle. You know what happens to heated rubber, don't you? You'll be nothing but overcooked spaghetti. Which do you prefer?"

"I'd prefer that you'd shut up." He answers, unperturbed by her act. He reaches out towards her, and she's at a complete loss of what to do.

She's on the borderline of consciousness and unconsciousness. The world around her keeps flashing black. Her body is trembling in fatigue, everything from before catching up to her and hitting her full force. She coughs.

She's too drained and tired to dodge whatever attack he has planned, too weak to fight back. If she is to use her quirk once more, surely she'll pass out. What should she do? Can she manage to use her billion-voltage strike against him?

That seems like the best option, but there's no guarantee that he'll be phased. She always passes out after that attack, and if she's to pass out now, no one will be here to protect Daichi. Not only that, she'll be vulnerable. She may as well die, she even feels like she's dying right now. Why can't she breathe?

 _Oh._

His hands are gripping her neck, cutting off her airway. _When did that happen?_ She raises her hands, gripping his wrists and trying to pry them off. All she sees is black. Is it the black of his eyes she's staring into, or the dark world she's slipping in and out of? She then sees green. A deep and olive green that always comforted her.

"Hotaru!" Daichi's voice reaches out to her, and she suddenly gets a hold of herself. He's standing now, limping towards her to help. She barely manages to shake her head.

"S-Stay there…!" She chokes out, tightening her grip on the hands holding her captive. She needs to do something, _or else…!_

She does the only thing she can do and uses her quirk. It's futile, _but it's something_. She rather do something instead of nothing, no matter the consequences. That way, no matter the results, she can take solace in the very fact that she tried, _right?_

A blinding blue is radiating from her, almost appearing white. She's making her lightning as intense as possible, raising the voltage as high as it can go in her current pitiful state. Yet, it's not enough. Is this the death certificate she signed?

Her vision grows blurry, and she finds herself gazing into the world through thick moisture. Salty moisture, almost like ocean water. She knew this day was bound to come for so long— _her death._ She had so long to prepare herself for this. So, why is it hitting her in such a different now of all times? Is it because she never pictured herself going out like this? No, of course it isn't. It's hitting her differently because there are so many things she wanted to do before this happened.

She wanted to sit under a wisteria tree on a warm and breezy day, right before a familiar pond with a familiar someone by her side. She wanted to talk to Daichi more and learn more about fish. She wanted to forgive and be forgiven. There's so much more she wanted to do. She doesn't want to die yet. She can't. She's scared.

She stares into the black eyes before her, gripping the hands fastened around her neck with more force. Her quirk intensifies but his hands remain in the same place and merely grow tighter. Nothing is working. Everything is going according to _his_ plan.

Her body grows heavy and her eyelids start to fall. Not even a single breath can enter her body. There's nothing she can do. It's just like Aizawa said. She's the heaviest of boulders at the bottom of the sea. Underwater, _trapped_. She's drowning. All she can do is whisper weakly through falling tears in one last feeble attempt to resurface.

It's something she should've said aloud much sooner, something she needed from the very beginning. It's the only thing she can do now. She's sinking deeper and deeper, and even though it's too late to ask for it, even though she knows it'll reach no one, she says it. The daughter of one of the most dangerous villains to live, cries out desperately.

"H-Help…" She murmurs, her quirk dying out entirely along with her strength. Her hands fall to her sides and the villain before starts to let out a wicked laugh.

Before that laugh can even escape from his lips, a familiar pale cloth wraps around his head and his eyes bulge in surprise. The moment he looks up in the direction it came from, he's greeted with a vigorous kick that rams rashly into his skull. Swirls form in his eyes and he's sent flying backwards, and his grip fades away from her entirely.

Hotaru's knees hit the ground. She coughs and gags harshly, heaving for breath desperately. Her darkened vision starts to brighten as air that couldn't reach her before enters her lungs, yet everything is still so blurry. She groggily looks up, staring at the newcomer before her through thick tears.

That messy black hair and unkempt appearance, those dark clothes and that signature scarf. There's no mistaking who that is. Yet, she can't bring herself to smile. What is this feeling in her chest? Why is her throat so painfully tight?

She looks past him to see that the villain that she was struggling to defeat is quivering on the ground, obviously struggling to stay conscious. Just like that and so effortlessly, Aizawa was able to defeat him with one swift blow. All it took was strength and knowing just where exactly to strike.

Her hand moves over her chest, gripping the fabric of her shirt tightly. He came after her. _He saved her._ When was the last time someone saved her like this? Just thinking about it makes her heart ache. Even though her lungs still badly need more air within them, the tightness of her throat makes it difficult for their wish to come to light.

Aizawa faces her, removing his yellow goggles and revealing his dark eyes. She must be crazy, because to her he looks a bit distraught. Is he angry at her? Worried? Her fingers curl more tightly into her shirt as she fights this feeling that's slowly but surely starting to overpower her.

"I told you not to wait until it's too late to ask for help." Aizawa says with his scratchy voice, facing her. "Now look what happened."

So, he is upset with her? Of course, he would be. He warned her multiple times, yet she didn't take action. Everything really is her fault, all because she's so stubborn. She's always considered herself a disappointment, but now she considers herself the biggest disappointment on the planet.

Movement makes her eyes move towards the villain behind him. He's starting to stand, and before she can say anything, his arm stretches and grabs onto a rail high above. Her eyes widen when he hauls himself up and to safety. Anger takes over her once again.

How could he just simply leave like he didn't do a thing? He can't. _She won't let him._ There are still some things she wants to ask him. She's not finished with him yet. He's going to tell her everything. She's going to make him feel the pain he put Daichi through.

"W-wait…!" Hotaru begins to stand, staggering forward while holding onto her bruised arm. She winces, although continuing to glare after the fleeing villain. "Come back—!"

"Aihara."

Aizawa grabs onto her shoulder firmly to keep her in the same spot, saying her name just as if not more firmly. Slowly, she looks over at him, instantly noticing his grim expression. She quivers and glares at him through tears that continue to fall.

"W-Why won't you let me go after him?!" She pathetically yells out. "Why aren't you going after him?!"

"Who's more important right now?" He questions evenly, and her entire body ices over. "That villain, or someone you've held dear to you your entire life?"

She tears her eyes away from him and looks quickly towards Daichi. He's on the grimy floor that's covered in soot, unconscious and still. _Too still_. He's supposed to be smiling and happy, not wounded like this. Things weren't supposed to be like this. Her heart shatters into countless fragments.

"...Daichi." She reaches out towards him, and she's suddenly stripped of everything.

The dark world from before succeeds in swallowing her whole, and her eyelids drape over her eyes despite how hard she tries to keep them risen. She falls forward limply, just barely feeling Aizawa catch her along with hearing his whisper.

"Problem-child."

•○●○•

" _Hey, Hotaru!" Daichi smiles, waving at Hotaru who's feeding the fish. "It's been awhile since you've been here. Two, three years, maybe? I was worried you moved away, or—"_

 _His words get caught in his throat when the young girl looks over her shoulder at him, staring at him with vacant eyes. Silver is supposed to be a bright color, but her eyes are not what he remembered them to be. They're dark, and to go along with that are lips that aren't curved upwards or downward. She's expressionless._

 _He pauses, feeling uneasy staring into her bloodshot eyes. This is Hotaru, right? How can she be so different? She's the complete opposite from what he known her as. Not only that, something else is different too._

" _Where's Todoroki?" He questions, and she scowls so deeply he can almost swear she's a villain._

" _I hope he's dead." She answers, turning away from him and throwing the fish food she holds into the water with more force than what's necessary. "Go away. I don't want to see you."_

 _Daichi blinks a few times at that answer and demand. Something terrible must've happened. But, what? He shakes his head lightly and plops down next to her. She glares at him intensely, but he merely smiles._

" _Don't be like that. Say, what happened to the happy you?" He inquires._

" _She's dead and won't ever return so leave me alone." She turns away from him. "I'm mean now. So, if you stay here I'll end up hurting you."_

" _I find that hard to believe."_

" _I knew I shouldn't have come back here. You're annoying! I'll kill you if you don't stop!"_

" _Really?" He raises a brow._

" _Really!"_

" _Then, I guess I won't educate you on fish anymore." He says sadly, and Hotaru crosses her arms over her chest._

" _I don't care."_

" _...We won't be friends anymore." He continues and she huffs._

" _I still don't care!"_

" _If happy Hotaru was still alive, would she care?"_

" _...Maybe. But she's dead, so it doesn't matter." She says, and he gives a sly smile._

" _What if I bring her back to life?"_

" _How…?" Hotaru's head tilts. "How would you do that?"_

" _If I make you smile, she'll come back, won't she?"_

" _You can't make me smile— ah!"_

 _Hotaru starts laughing uncontrollably when Daichi tickles her, and she crumbles onto the ground. She's grinning as she laughs, ear to ear at that. Daichi laughs himself, briefly seeing the goofball she used to be. Even when he's no longer tickling her, she still laughs._

" _I-Idiot…!" She gets out between her lingering giggles. "Why would you do that?"_

" _Doesn't it feel better to be happy?" He asks. "Being angry like that, isn't it hard?"_

 _Hotaru stares at him with wide eyes and parted lips, her laughter coming to a stop. She thinks over his words carefully, sitting up as she does. Hugging her knees to her chest, she looks away from him._

" _Even so…" She whispers. "You shouldn't talk to me, or hang around me. In fact, it would be much better if you acted as if you didn't know me. Just forget everything. If you don't, you'll die."_

 _She peeks over at him, expecting him to get the hint and leave. However, she becomes breathless when she sees that he's smiling. Does he not believe her? Is he stupid? Or, does he just not—? He cuts her off, finishing her thoughts aloud. Her vision grows blurry._

" _I don't care."_

•○●○•

The moment Hotaru opens her eyes, she knows she's no longer in that alley. There's no smell of smoke in the air, nor is there a villainous presence. She's in a cold room that's predominantly white, in a soft bed with sheets just as white. _A hospital?_ No, wait… _Recovery Girl's Office?_ Regardless, she shouldn't be here.

She sits up in a flash, throwing the sheets off of her and standing. From standing up so quickly, she feels dizzy and her head is harboring a pounding headache. It's a bad headache that makes it hard to focus. As a result, she sits back down and shuts her eyes, letting out a pain-filled groan. Why does she feel even more fatigued than before?

The curtains of the window behind her are open, and moonlight pours into the room. Since it's now dark, she can conclude that she's been out of it for a good few hours. However, her body is shaky and sore, hard to move.

She cracks her eyes open, seeing that all of the cuts and bruises she received are gone. She even raises her hand over her cheek. Although she can't see her face, she knows the dark bruise that adorned it is no longer present. No throbbing pain greets her. Recovery Girl must've healed her, which explains why she feels as she does. Her chest grows painfully tight.

 _Daichi._ She needs to find Daichi. Where is he? Is he well? She can't stay here like this, but how can she get to him when she doesn't even have the energy to stand? Her fingers curl into the sheets below her in frustration, her knuckles turning white. Voices beyond the door catch her attention and she strains her ears to listen.

"It's taking longer than originally thought to get the power up and running again, however, it should be fully restored before school begins tomorrow morning." Nezu's easily recognizable voice speaks. "It seems I miscalculated…"

"No kidding. It was foolish to allow that villain to attend this school." The Blood Hero's voice sounds out next, followed by Midnight's.

"Not only did she cut the power, but she tampered around in the teachers' lounge. Who knows what information she leaked out?"

"Don't worry. I will thoroughly question Aihara-san as soon as she awakens and make sure she is disciplined properly. What she has done is unforgivable." Nezu assures.

Hotaru's pulse starts racing in her ears loud and clear, and sweat trickles down her face. This isn't good. She swallows thickly. They think she was behind the whole power outage. Not only that, they found out she was trespassing in the teachers' lounge. That's more than enough to conclude that every hero at this school now sees her as a villain, _nothing else._

Her throat grows painfully tight, and that feeling from earlier returns full force, making her chest numb. It was stupid to think she could outsmart her father. He perfectly succeeded in setting her up and trampling over her plan. He ruined everything effortlessly, _just like that day_. From the very beginning, he always had her under his thumb.

"...I need to get out of here." She whispers to herself.

She can't go out the door, not with Midnight, Vlad King, and Nezu there. Even though she's sure she could just simply defeat Nezu with a flick, that's not the case for the other two. Her best option is sneaking out another way.

Her eyes dart around in a frenzy before locking onto the window. _There_. That's her escape route. It'll be quite the drop, but if she uses her quirk carefully, she's sure she'll be able to land without any injuries.

In her panicked and desperate state, she stands, completely forgetting about her insufficient energy. She takes a single step forward and her knee buckles. She tries to grab ahold of something to catch herself before she falls, but everything is out of her reach. A thump sounds out the very second she lands on her hands and knees, and she grows deathly pale when the door opens.

"Where do you think you're going, _villain?_ " Vlad King bites out with a glare, and she slowly meets his eyes.

Vlad King's eyes attempt to flatten her form onto the ground along with Midnight's, but as always, Nezu is harder to read. He's silent. They move towards her instantly and Hotaru trembles.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." Midnight adds on with a deep frown, pointing her signature whip at her.

The one thing she's capable of doing and needs to do most she's been neglecting. She's been trying to be a hero and trying to be a villain for even longer, but she's neither. She's never been either of those things and never will be. It's time to drop the facade and be the forlorn child she's always been. That's what she says, but she can't bring herself to.

Hotaru swallows, clutching at her tattered clothing like that's the only thing keeping her alive. They look like they are going to attack her. They don't look like heroes to her. Not even Nezu does with that calculating expression. In fact, she doesn't consider them heroes. Maybe to others, but not to her. If she were to ask them for help, would they listen?

"I-I…" She barely gets out, and then someone else enters the room.

"Do you know why you're caught up in this situation?" Aizawa asks as he walks forward, and even though he's the one person she doesn't mind seeing right now, his words make her falter. "It's all because you're so damn headstrong and trying to be part of a world you're not suited for."

Those words hurt her like nothing else, although it is very much the truth. She draws in a shaky breath, realizing he must've brought her here when she passed out. Since he was capable of that, he must know what became of Daichi.

"...Is Daichi okay?" She asks weakly.

"He's fine and recovering at a nearby hospital. Fortunately, his injury looked worse than it actually was." He answers, and all she can do is nod.

He continues to gaze at her, and she wants to tell him to stop looking at her because he's making this feeling so hard to fight off. She's trembling all over. He lets out a heavy sigh before looking at her in genuine concern, the complete opposite of the other three present. She feels comforted almost, _yet…_

"Are you alright?"

That feeling she tried to shackle down breaks free. Everything hits her all at once. Her pathetic life that's full of betrayal and manipulation, how her father targeted Daichi, how she almost died, _how everything is and always will be her fault._

The sob she was holding back erupts, and it's most definitely the most disappointing sound she has ever made. Crying like a child with big beads of tears, snot and all in front of them of all people makes her feel more like a failure than she already is. It sounds as if she's been holding back these sobs her entire life, and maybe she actually has been.

"S-Sensei…!" She cries out, pressing her forehead against the floor and grabbing onto his shoe. "P-Please help me! I don't want to die! H-He's going to kill me…! He's after S-Shoto too! He even a-almost got Daichi! I-I don't know what to do!"

Everyone's eyes widen as they stare at Hotaru in her pleading position, but grow even more wide at her claim. Aizawa blinks a few times in shock as he wonders just who she is talking about. He crouches down before her, placing his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.

"If you're talking about that villain from before, I already handled him." He says, and Hotaru shakes her head in objection.

"Why would we help you after you destroyed the school's power supply?" Vlad King questions severely with a "tsk."

"I'm not responsible for that! I promise I'm not!" Hotaru proclaims, staring up at him through her tears.

"What are you talking about? Remnants of your quirk were left behind." He disagrees. "And even if it wasn't you, how else do you plan on explaining the video captured of you entering the teachers' lounge? A room you have no business in?"

"...H-He told me to do it! But, I couldn't do what he wanted." She snivels, rubbing at her eyes. "S-So, he set me up! He cut the power, not me!"

"Just who are you talking about? It was clearly your quirk that was behind the whole outage! There's no one alive with your quirk!" Vlad King raises his voice, getting impatient and fed up. "Only you could've been responsible!"

"...That's what he wants you to think." She whispers, and his eye twitches.

Midnight just stares in confusion, while Nezu gasps, his quick little brain putting the pieces together. Aizawa isn't that far behind Nezu in figuring out just who Hotaru is talking about.

"Aihara-san," Nezu starts up with wide eyes. "Are you saying that—?"

"Yes." She cuts him off.

Her hand reaches out and grabs onto Aizawa's shirt. She stares vacantly at his chest, lowering her eyelids and slumping forward against him. The air suddenly grows thick with tension.

"He's alive." She reveals. "My father, Lightning Beast, who the world believes to have been struck down by Endeavor all those years ago is still very much alive. So, please..." Her grip tightens on Aizawa. "Help me."

•○●○•

All she can hear is crackling and all she can smell is smoke. Fire reflects in her eyes for the second time today. Only this time, the flames are brighter beneath the night sky, and those she decided she can trust accompanied her this time. Somehow, her tears feels warmer than the flames before her.

She wordlessly stares at her house that's being consumed by flames, watching as the fire department works quickly to put those flames out. They aren't working as quickly as her parents worked to destroy any evidence that was hidden inside that house. Just seeing her house burn to the ground makes it clear that there was so much they were hiding from her.

Aizawa walks up from behind her, moving to stand by her side as she watches the flames. He gazes at her, noticing the sad look in her silver eyes. His hands move into his pockets and he lets out a sigh.

"Do you regret it?" He asks, and she shakes her head.

"It hurts, but no. I don't reject choosing this path." Her lips curve upwards slightly, her hair swishing as her head tilts. "I think this was the best choice."

"It was." He affirms. "If you chose that other path, you would've died for sure."

Her eyes widen and she looks over at Aizawa. He's not looking her way, but rather staring at the flames with a steadfast expression. Her eyelashes flutter as she blinks in confusion.

"Sensei?" She inquires.

"You asked for help, so you can count on us heroes to protect you. We at U.A. prioritize the safety of our students above all else. No one will be able to lay a finger on you. Got it?" He says, looking over at her.

Her chest grows warm, and her eyes sparkle as she smiles. Right now, she resembles nothing but a happy teenage girl. For the first time in forever, she feels safe and burden free. She nods.

"Thank you, Sensei. I'll protect you too." She declares, which earns her a finger flick to the forehead. She recoils.

"Did you forget what I said already? You're no hero, so sit on the sidelines."

Nezu and Midnight smile at the exchange between them from their spot standing little ways behind them. Vlad King however just looks dumbstruck. Does Aizawa have a favorite student for the first time ever?

"See? Didn't I tell you Aihara would be a great addition to U.A.?" Nezu laughs.

"You say that as if you weren't doubting her just earlier." Midnight shakes her head, and Nezu merely laughs some more. "Although, I think you're right. She just needed some help. Right, Sekijiro?"

Midnight and Nezu look over at the Blood Hero, seeing him staring off in the opposite direction with pursed lips. Midnight smirks at that expression, nudging him with her elbow.

"What's wrong?" She questions. "Feeling guilty?"

"Nevertheless," Nezu's amused expression fades. "If Lightning Beast truly is still alive, it looks like we have quite the situation on our hands."

Hotaru's expression softens as she looks at the flames once more. This place is no longer her home. In fact, it never really was to begin with. She lets out a heavy breath, these intense flames making her remember a pair of turquoise eyes.

"Well, there's no use staying here." Aizawa's voice drags her from her thoughts. "Let's go."

He starts walking over to the car he driven to get here. She looks at the burning house one last time before she trails behind him with careful steps, walking currently taking all of her focus to ensure she doesn't topple over. They pass by the other heroes' present, and Vlad King speaks out.

"You're leaving? Without even searching the place?"

"That house is too far gone to find anything worthwhile in. I'm calling it a night. I think we have enough information for now." Aizawa waves him off with a yawn, and Hotaru finds herself yawning instantly afterwards. He points at Hotaru from over his shoulder. "We'll pry her for more information tomorrow."

Vlad King lets out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, and Hotaru ducks past him. She avoids looking at him and Midnight, but especially Nezu. She feels a little odd around them. Perhaps the correct term for that is "awkward." She feels the most comfortable around Aizawa. However, as soon as she finds herself alone in the car with him, she instantly takes that back.

 _This is too awkward._

Driving through this dark and high-crime neighborhood, usually there are plenty of things to look at. However, there is nothing interesting at all tonight. It's quiet, like the calm before a storm. All that keeps playing on repeat in her head is her… _breakdown._

She brings her hand over her face, ducking her head in embarrassment. How could she allow herself to enter such a low and pitiful state? However, she can't deny that after that major embarrassment she feels better. Actually, she feels a whole lot better.

"Where am I taking you?" Aizawa asks from the driver's seat, slowing the car to a stop at a stoplight.

"What do you mean?" She looks over at him in question.

"Don't you have somewhere to go? Or, was that drab house all you had?"

Her lips curve upwards and she laughs a bit at his words. How harsh. He always just says things how it is, not sugar-coating anything. That's why she likes him.

"That house was all I had." She answers. "You can just drop me off anywhere."

"Are you sure you want that? You need a proper rest. I wouldn't be surprised if you die of exhaustion."

"Don't worry about it." She waves him off. "I'll be fine."

"I'll take you to the school, then. You can rest there." He looks over at her. "Listen, your number one priority is resting. I'm going to let you skip out on classes tomorrow to do just that. I rather not have a zombie in the room."

Her eyes widen, not at the fact he's going to let her skip class, but rather at how she's still being allowed to attend classes. She thought she would've been expelled, especially after everything that transpired today. Besides, she didn't come here to become a hero. All she wanted was some help.

"Um…" She mutters, bringing her hand to the back of her neck. "I'm still a student?"

"Don't you want to be a hero?" He inquires.

"W-Well…" Her cheeks grow warm and she looks off to the side, smiling. "Yes."

"Then you're still a student, and I expect you to be a good one."

"I'll try my best."

Hotaru rests her head against the window, staring out at the buildings passing by. They are heading towards U.A., and should be there soon. However, she doesn't think she'll be able to stay awake that long. She lowers her eyelids with a smile.

"Thank you for saving me." She whispers, and he only makes a low sound of acknowledgment. "Seriously, thank you. I'm surprised you beat All Might to save me."

"I told him not to go after you."

"Huh?" She blinks in surprise and looks over with wide eyes. "Why?"

"I'm your homeroom teacher, so you're my responsibility. Do me a favor and never do anything that reckless again." He scowls, and she smirks.

"Aw, Sensei, you're such a good teacher. Such a wonderful, caring— ack!" She's cut off when Aizawa purposely slams on the breaks, nearly making her fly into the windshield.

"Wear your damn seat-belt."

Hotaru laughs genuinely, sinking back in her seat and putting on her seat-belt. She shuts her eyes once more, remembering when Daichi scolded her for not wearing her seat-belt. As soon as she's able, she's going to visit him and apologize indefinitely. She would ask if Aizawa could take her to the hospital, but she's sure Daichi is resting. She needs to rest, too. A heavy breath escapes her.

She's no longer underwater and drowning, but she may as well be on a ship sailing in uncharted waters. She has this feeling that this is only the beginning of worse things to come. Not even for a second can she let her guard down.

After tonight, she still doesn't feel entirely at ease. Although she feels safe, those around her aren't. The person who is targeting her will now have to cut through the people now protecting her in order to reach her. _She's put everyone in danger._ That doesn't sit well in her stomach at all.

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Unforeseen Simulation Joint

❤•○●○•❤

"This whole time you were protecting him?! Taru!" His uncanny voice roars viciously, and then all eyes are on her.

Hotaru stands at the top of the stairway and stares down at him. Their silver eyes clash, and that's when realization decides to hit her. He's going to kill her, _right here an now._ She looks away from him, slowly looking at each of her frightened classmates before zoning in on a stunned Shoto.

His lips are parted, eyes wide as he stares right back at her. Countless emotions swarm in her silver orbs. Fear, sadness, and remorse. Those are the emotions that stand out among the rest. She smiles at him and turns her attention back to her parents standing below, that single action strangely feeling like a goodbye.

"And what of it?" Hotaru replies.

Shoto takes a single step towards her, _only to find himself face to face with Lightning Beast_.


	15. Unforeseen Simulation Joint

**vampireknighthc** **:** thank you so much! Haha, dad aizawa truly is the best (* ^ ω ^)

 **Potato-Faye:** thank you thank you ~ ! haha, you didn't get too stressed out, did you? ❤

 **AugustRrush:** thank you! please enjoy this chapter! ❤

 **kirika o7:** omg, hahaa ! ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡ you're hilarious! but, i totally agree— i mean what o.o (￣ω￣)

 **kaycblu:** aahh, thank you so much, truly. ❤ i really do try, haha. please enjoy this chapter! (^人^)

 **Oblivious IJ:** oooooo, ｡ﾟ( ﾟ^∀^ﾟ)ﾟ｡ haha. now that i think about it you're right! Aizawa teacher of the year ~

 **neYophtyeWroteThisReview:** haha. (*≧ω≦*) Hotaru has such bad luck. and aahhh, he wasn't too ooc was he? i'll try to be more careful. o(TヘTo) thank you so much for pointing that out.

 **bbymojo:** thank you so so much! (⁀ᗢ⁀) that chapter was really a huge turning point for Hotaru, as it definitely pushed her in the right direction although not so gently. I'm so happy that this is a favorite of yours, truly. That means so much to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll continue to work hard! ❤

 **rosiol:** thank you! ❤ i'm a huge fan of the sneak peaks myself. they are fun to write, and it gets me started on the next chapter more quickly! \\(^ヮ^)/

 **Rynxenvy:** it really was, wasn't it? ❤ thank you! i hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

 **Incognitro:** Ahh, thank you so much! (* ^ ω ^) that means so much to me. thank you so much for your patience. ❤ i hope you enjoy this chapter.

•○●○•

 **firstly, thank you everyone for your patience. I'm sorry for the wait. This semester has been my most hectic one yet. (个_个)**

 **but, it's nearly over!** ❤

 **thanks so much for reading, reviewing, following, etc. i hope I can continue to put out quality work that you will enjoy.**

 **i apologize in advance if there are any errors. i read this chapter over like twice but as always i tend to miss some things.** (*/_＼)

 **sometimes I write on my phone and auto-correct utterly destroys me, ehe.**

 **anyways, please enjoy.** ❤

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Unforeseen Simulation Joint

❤•○●○•❤

Hotaru's lips curve upwards subtly, and she stretches out her legs and arms like a cat from beneath the soft blankets. When was the last time she has woken up without a single trace of sleep still hanging on to her? She can't even recall, which means it's been too long.

The intense sunlight pouring in through the window soaks onto her form through the covers. It's warm and refreshing, and she lets out a content sigh as her eyes flutter open. With how high the sun is positioned in the sky, she doesn't need to look at the clock to know that it's nearly noon.

She feels anew, almost. Like an entirely new person. So, this what a dreamless and twelve-hour slumber feels like? It's incredible, and she longs to do this much more often. Throughout her whole life, she was never able to sleep like this.

Stretching some more, she slowly sits up and throws the blankets off of her dramatically. Everything looks so much clearer. It's easier to move and it's like her senses have been enhanced. She's wide awake and overflowing with energy.

She feels like running around which is strange, since she hates to do things that require so much energy. But, now she has so much of it she feels like she has to use at least some of it. Before, she hardly had any to spare.

"Ah… this is nice." She says to herself, stretching her arms high above her head. Her eyes catch sight of her attire and her smile falters.

She's still dressed in her tattered clothes that's been through so much the last couple nights, and how it smells makes it even more filthy. Her lips downturn into a frown. Even though she feels great, she looks completely disgusting. When she realizes she hasn't taken a shower in the past couple days, she suddenly feels as if she's a walking garbage can. She can't remain like this. There must be a shower in here somewhere. Typically, most school nurses' offices have one.

Her eyes search the room for a door or something she didn't notice before, and sure enough she finds one. Standing, she makes her way towards it. She knocks on it a few times and waits for a few seconds. It's quiet on the other side, so she opens the door. Her eyes light up, seeing a shower stall. She even sees clean and folded towels. _Perfect._

However, she doesn't have any spare clothes to change into. She looks around, walking in an entire circle as she looks for any clothes laying around she could possibly wear. There aren't any spare uniforms in sight, although she does see her hero costume lying across a chair in the corner of the room and by the window. Walking around in this may be a little too much, especially since she's not an actual hero, but it'll have to do for now until she can get proper clothes.

She grabs her costume and steps into the washroom, closing and locking the door behind her. Hanging her costume on a rack and undressing blissfully, she turns on the shower and steps beneath the warm and steaming water. Her eyes shut in content and she sighs out loud.

The warm water feels great against her skin, and she can feel the dirt and grime that was stuck onto her being carried away. The body wash and shampoo present are unscented, but that's just fine. She washes her body thoroughly along with her hair, getting rid of all of the tangles. Soon, she's able to run her fingers through her many dark strands with no problems at all.

Once she's finished and shuts the water off, she grabs a towel and rubs at her scalp to dry her hair while humming to herself. She passes by a mirror and glances at her reflection. Suddenly, she freezes, and her humming comes to a complete stop. She turns around and runs back over to the mirror, leaning in close with wide eyes.

"...Eh?!" She exclaims, staring intently at her reflection. At first, she's not sure if she's even looking at herself. Is this really her? She waves her hand to make sure, and her reflection mimics her every move perfectly.

Her eyes, they aren't droopy at all. They are fuller and more angular, much brighter without the bags beneath them. She raises her hand towards her face slowly, gliding her fingers over her cheek. She doesn't look as pale either, now more healthy. Her hair, still wet, isn't frizzy and wavier than before. Loose, beach waves. It'll get fuller once it dries, but as long as she doesn't use her quirk the frizz will stay away.

She looks completely different like she feels completely different. Although she has her father's eye color and some of her mom's beguiling features, she doesn't look like a villain at all. _Is this what she really looks like?_ Her cheeks are suddenly shaded a light pink. It's very strange seeing herself like this, and she's not sure if she likes it or not.

The sound of someone rummaging about outside of the washroom catches her attention and brings her out of her thoughts. Someone must be in the office now. She hurries and dries herself off entirely before changing into her costume and heading out.

"Oh, there you are." Recovery Girl smiles when Hotaru comes out of the washroom, looking refreshed. "You look a ton better. How are you feeling?"

"I feel great, actually." Hotaru answers, walking over eagerly to the tray of food that wasn't present before. She knows it's for her, and she doesn't stop herself from digging in. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Of course." The old woman smiles further, watching as Hotaru takes a big bite out of a turkey sandwich.

She hums happily as she eats, sitting atop her bed with the tray of food in her lap. This is her first meal in what feels like forever. As a result, she eats quickly and doesn't chew thoroughly. However, despite that, Recovery Girl takes note of her surprising table manners. Her bright eyes are sparkling as she eats, and her cheeks are rosy in her excited state. She even wears a tiny smile.

She definitely was never suited to be a villain. How could such a happy and cute teenage girl such as herself be part of that dark world? She just can't believe it. Feeling Recovery Girl's intense staring, Hotaru looks up and tilts her head like a confused puppy, making her hair swish elegantly.

"What is it?" Hotaru asks with a mouthful, and Recovery Girl shakes her head.

"You're just cute." The old woman laughs, and Hotaru freezes.

Slowly, she sets her nearly empty plate aside, swallowing before coughing into her fist. An intense warmth radiates from her cheeks and her eyelids lower as she draws in a deep breath. When her eyes reopen, she's glaring. She's still capable of pulling off the villainous look, but it doesn't look as threatening as it usually does in her sleep-deprived state.

"I'm not cute."

"Deny it all you want, but you can't change that fact." Recovery Girl says blandly. Hotaru looks stubbornly off to the side, standing up and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Whatever. I might not look much like a villain anymore, but I'm still the same person, got it?" She spins around, facing the elderly woman with her hands on her hips and towering over her. "In other words, you shouldn't treat me very lightly."

"Even your voice sounds cute." Recovery Girl states, also taking notice of how her voice isn't stale from lack of sleep. She's unfazed by Hotaru's threatening demeanor, enjoying teasing her too much. "Isn't it wondrous what proper rest can do?"

Recovery Girl laughs when Hotaru's eyelid twitches in annoyance. Letting out a heavy sigh, Hotaru grabs the carton of chocolate milk from the now empty tray and heads towards the door. Recovery Girl stares after her in confusion.

"Where are you going?" The elderly woman inquires.

"To class. You're annoying me." Hotaru mutters as she grips the doorknob.

"You might as well just stay here."

Hotaru blinks in confusion and turns around, eyeing Recovery Girl who's slowly walking over with the use of her cane. Stay here? Her silver eyes glance at the ceiling in thought, recalling how Aizawa gave her permission to skip classes today. Then, she looks at the clock. Lunch break ended ten minutes ago.

"Well, the general course aside, I really enjoy the Foundational Hero Studies class. I know Sensei said I can skip out, but I don't want to miss this class." She says as Recovery Girl stops before her. "And, there's the factor of getting away from you. Honestly, if I stay any longer with your pestering— ow!"

Recovery Girl hits Hotaru's ankle with her cane, making her crouch down and clutch at the throbbing area. Hotaru lets out a slight hiss, rubbing at the bruising spot while glaring at Recovery Girl.

"Learn to respect your elders!" Recovery Girl barks out, and Hotaru looks off in the other direction with a huff. "But, as I was saying, you really are better off just staying here. Class 1A was scheduled for a field trip today and the bus is scheduled to leave right about now."

At that, Hotaru's eyes widen considerably. A field trip? That's something she never had to opportunity to go on before. If she runs fast enough, can she catch her class before they depart? She straightens up and opens the door promptly.

"All the more reason to go." She disagrees with staying here, looking over her shoulder and at the nurse. "If I hurry, I'm sure I can catch them."

"All the more reason you should stay here." Recovery Girl frowns deeply, shaking her head. "Listen, you may be feeling a lot better, but you still need to rest and eat some more. Resting was your given task for today. Your body still may not be completely—hey!"

Hotaru darts out the door and down the hall, completely ignoring her. Recovery Girl moves to stand in the doorway with a disapproving expression, calling after her. Looking over her shoulder, Hotaru spins around and jogs backwards, waving her milk carton through the air.

"I'll be fine, don't worry!" She calls back, gradually slowing to a stop. "Seriously…"

She moves one hand over her chest, while folding the other behind her back. The sunlight shining into the hall through the plentiful windows highlights her form, and the tiny dust particles floating about sparkle around her like something out of a dream. A flock of birds fly past just outside.

Recovery Girl's eyes gradually widen when Hotaru smiles softly, her silver orbs not resembling storm clouds, but rather clouds that gently roll across the sky. Her eyelids lower and her ebony lashes rest upon her cheeks as she bows.

"Thank you for worrying, but I mean it when I say you shouldn't worry for my sake. So, please," She straightens up and her smile softens further. "Don't worry too much. I won't overdo it. That's the least I can promise after everything you've done for me."

All Recovery Girl can do is stare with an agape mouth at Hotaru, completely astonished. No words can form on her tongue and she's admittedly rendered breathless at the change in her. It's like night and day. Hotaru gives one last bow before turning and running off with a smile still plastered on her face.

Letting out a sigh, Recovery Girl adjusts the pink helmet she wears while shaking her head. However, her lips curve upwards. Her voice only now just returns, and she says to herself;

"That girl… I never know what she's going to surprise me with next."

•○●○•

The entire class of 1A are currently outside and idling their time. Some are standing around and some are nervous, while others sit on a nearby bench patiently. The bus that's supposed to be taking them to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint is running a good few minutes behind.

Aizawa stands where the bus should eventually pull up, inwardly irked at the delay. His hands are shoved inside his pockets and he's hunched forward slightly, unconsciously tapping his foot on the ground impatiently. He's not sure why he gets the sudden urge to look over his shoulder, but he does.

On one of the higher floors of the infamous school building, Nezu stands staring out the window with a calm smile. The bright sun makes it hard for him to see his tiny form. His drooping eyes meet his small and beady ones.

•

" _Why did you tell All Might to stay behind?" Aizawa mutters in question, just now returning from his most recent rescue. "I almost didn't make it to her in time. He would've prevented things from turning out like this."_

" _Even so, you were the most suited one to go." Nezu explains with a smile, clasping his paws together. "Out of all the heroes here, including All Might, Aihara seems more fond of you than anyone else."_

" _So?"_

" _She's wavering, can't you tell? If you are the one to save her, don't you think that'll be enough to break the ice? Only you are able to push her in the right direction."_

•

"Sensei." A silvery voice brings him out of his thoughts, and he looks over. He can't help but to wonder if this is partially what Nezu meant when he said, "break the ice."

Hotaru's walking over to him, appearing very well rested. Her posture is better, and her movements aren't as lazy. There's a small smile on her face and her hands are clasped together behind her back.

"I know you said I can skip out on today, but," She comes to a stop beside him, leaning forward slightly and hopefully gazing up at him. "Can I go with you?"

He stares at her for a short moment before averting his eyes to gaze ahead at nothing in particular. Since she's no longer injured and seemingly on the brink of death from exhaustion, he doesn't see a problem.

"I don't care. Just don't cause me any trouble."

Hotaru straightens up and her lips part to thank him, but nothing comes out. He seems miffed about something, and because of that she doesn't really know what to say. His tone was a little apathetic too. Even though she would consider it normal for him, it sounded more conspicuous this time around.

A full minute goes by of her just staring at him curiously, and her gaze makes him look back at her and glower. She lets out a tiny squeak at his frightening stare and holds her hands up in apology.

"U-Um, thank you!" She sputters out before retreating from him.

Once Hotaru is far enough away from Aizawa, she gazes at him once more with a thoughtful frown. Something is definitely on his mind, and she can't help but wonder if it relates to her somehow. Is he possibly annoyed by her? Or, is it something else?

"Taru-chan!" A familiar voice calls out from behind her and she turns around to see Kaminari running over to her. He's waving happily. "What happened yesterday? I was worried…"

He trails off when he gets closer to her, his jaw hanging open. She blinks a few times while tilting her head in confusion at his deep stare and shocked expression. Why is he looking at her like she's an entirely new person? It's only then she remembers her current image.

"Wow! Is this really you?" He leans closer and her cheeks are suddenly shaded a hot pink. "You're so—!"

"Beautiful."

At that new voice, Hotaru turns around slowly to see Mineta standing behind her and drooling. He wipes at the saliva falling from the outer corner of his lips only for more to drip down.

"Didn't I tell you, Kaminari? Taru-chan is the most beautiful girl in the world." Mineta informs, stepping closer to her. "She's my sexy anti-hero."

"Say, Taru-chan." Kaminari throws his arm over her shoulders and she tenses. Mineta flails his arms all over in his jealous state. "How about we grab some dinner after school?" He playfully winks. "You better not turn me down this time."

Hotaru slowly looks over at Kaminari's flirtatiously smiling face. Her silver eyes are wide in surprise. Then, she slowly turns her attention over to Mineta. Her hand moves over her chest and her fingers curl.

She wants to claim they are only being like this because of her current non-threatening appearance, but they've been like this from the start. Even when she looked unkempt and unwelcoming, even though they knew she was a villain, they've always acted like this. For them to still be acting like this even now, especially after what transpired yesterday, she can't help but be swayed.

"Why do you both want to hang out with me so badly?" She asks, lightly removing Kaminari's arm from her. "I don't really get it. I'm not that great of a person, you know."

"Give yourself a little more credit." Kaminari grins. "You're cool."

"And sexy." Mineta adds on.

"Think, you guys." Hotaru shakes her head in disagreement. "You saw what happened yesterday, didn't you? Clearly I've done something bad, so why do you still associate yourselves with me?"

Even though what happened yesterday was because of her father, it doesn't change the fact that all the heroes at this school thought her to be responsible. She leaves this out, because they don't know what truly happened. She's deeply curious as to why they act as they do.

"True, that was pretty surprising and had me unsettled." Kaminari admits and looks up at the sky right when a cloud covers the sun. "But, if it was that bad you wouldn't be here right now, right? And whatever happened must've had a good ending." He grins and looks back at her. "Because, I wouldn't be seeing the real you right now if it wasn't anything but good."

"And you're even prettier than before!" Mineta exclaims. "I knew I wasn't misjudging you… Taru-chan~" He smiles with rosy cheeks, then adding on almost shyly. "And… you saved me, remember? You're also the only one who ever chose to partner up with me, too. So, doesn't this mean you like me just as much as I like you? Why are you denying your feelings for me?"

Their words touch her. She's done a lot of things she regrets, and often wishes she could go back in time and set things right. Sadly, that's just not possible. She has to live with all her mistakes. She still feels they are giving her too much credit. _A good ending…_ that's just not possible for someone like her. The end hasn't even happened yet although she can feel it's near.

"You guys are delusional." She whispers, looking up at the deep blue sky. The cloud covering the sun starts to dissipate and her lips curve upwards. "Really, you'd be surprised at how wrong you actually are. I'm full of disappointments."

"Taru —" Kaminari starts to say with a frown until she cuts him off.

"Thank you."

Her silver eyes are glistening beneath the sunlight, and her dark and wavy strands of hair dance in the breeze. She's smiling genuinely, briefly showing her white teeth. She looks over at them both and renders them awestruck with her captivating features.

"After school," She beams, tilting her head to the side adorably. "Let's eat together."

"Taru-chan!" Mineta screeches with a badly bleeding nose.

He launches himself towards her, leaping from the ground. He's on a beeline right towards her chest, his arms extended and ready to embrace her. Hotaru holds out her hand palm up, her cheeks lightly tinted in her amicable state. _She wants him just as badly._ That's what Mineta thinks until the moment he grabs her hand. Then, all he sees is a vivid blue as he's shocked to the very core.

He lets out a painful wail, crumbling to the ground with steam rising off of him. Hotaru crouches before him with a laugh, folding her arms over her knees. Kaminari laughs from behind her when Mineta looks up at her in horror.

"You asked you for it, dude." Kaminari snickers, now standing next to Hotaru.

"I didn't shock you that badly, Mineta-kun." Hotaru laughs. "You're just being over-dramatic now. Come on, get up."

Mineta's wail and the bright flash was enough to catch the attention of many classmates, Shoto included. His eyes enlarge slightly at Hotaru's smiling face. She looks exactly how she did back then, and when he hears her laugh, even that has a similar sound to what he remembers. He watches as she offers a hand to Mineta to help him up, however the small boy is too scared to accept her help, also claiming that she broke his heart.

Why does she suddenly resemble his dear friend from way back then? What happened overnight to bring about such a drastic change? He suddenly remembers her promise to him, claiming that she'll no longer act as a villain but rather a hero. Was she serious?

A loud whistle sounds out suddenly, cutting through the air and gaining everyone's attention. Iida's responsible for the high-pitched sound and the bus pulls up behind him, the doors opening for boarding.

"Class 1-A, gather round! Form two lines by your student numbers in order to make boarding the bus go smoothly!" Iida calls out loud and clear, blowing his whistle repeatedly so everyone can hurry and follow his directions.

Hotaru raises a brow, straightening up and leaving Mineta on the ground. What makes him think he can order everyone around like that? Shouldn't Aizawa be the one to say such a thing? Is she missing something regarding that? _Oh._ Could he be the class representative? But then again, he tried to order her around during the entrance exam.

Despite the fact she's slightly irked at being given orders by a fellow student like him who's no better than herself, she walks over and gets in line. She will have to board the bus anyway. It's better for her to cooperate. She's an official student now, and she's going to deem today her first official day.

Before she was here for her own personal reasons. She had a plan and that's all she wanted to accomplish. Although things didn't go quite as she expected, she did what she wanted to do most even though she was terrified to do so. _She asked for help._ All so she can get her revenge against her own parents, _mainly her father._

Now that she's taken that first step, it feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off from her shoulders. She's not standing alone anymore. All the heroes here are standing beside her. Yet, she still can't help but to feel awful at bringing them all into this mess of hers.

That's why, starting now, she's going to work hard to become the hero she always wanted to be. Wherever they are going, she's going to do her absolute best and be the perfect aspiring hero. Yes, _she can do this._ Someone like her can become a hero… _right?_ Just like that, it feels as if a new weight has been dropped onto her.

Her heart hammers in her rib-cage and she brings her hand over it, taking in a deep breath. Was this really the right path for her to take? Even now and after everything that transpired, she's still indecisive? How, _and why?_

The line to board the bus moves smoothly. Even though she's lost in her thoughts, somehow she makes it on without bumping into anyone. Since she is number twenty-one, she was last in line, and since she's last in line, she's the last to get on the bus. Once she walks up the mini flight of stairs she looks up and sees only one seat left.

Their eyes meet simultaneously—silver clashing against turquoise and dark gray. Hotaru's lips slowly part. His expression is unreadable to her, however, for the first time in forever he isn't wearing his usual glare. He's not looking at her in hatred.

A single step in his direction is all it takes for him to look away in disinterest. Despite that, her lips curve upwards subtly although she suddenly feels melancholy. The rift between them somehow feels deeper.

She sits down next to him, though as far away as possible. Leaning forward, she presses her forehead against the cushioned back of the seat in front of her. Her hair falls over her face and she lowers her eyelids.

Sitting next to him now isn't awkward or infuriating, but rather remorseful. There's no hatred left in her towards him. Actually, she doesn't think she ever hated him. If she ever did, it was only because of her own stupidity. She realizes that now. In truth, she really missed him.

Thinking back on it now, when she saw him again after all those years, she felt happy. She wants to feel happy now too, but for some reason, she just can't. Her fingers run through her hair in frustration, recalling how she's been taunting and provoking him since she arrived here. She's such a disappointment.

"Um…" Hotaru slowly looks over at him, nervous. "Todoroki-san…?"

She trails off, seeing his eyes closed as the buss rolls along. He doesn't react at all to her voice. Did he fall asleep that quickly? Or, is he just pretending? She straightens up, staring deeply at the scar on his face. There's a pang in her chest.

"I just wanted to say sorry for everything." She murmurs, looking down at her feet. "I've been ignorant and impolite. Saying things that I shouldn't have said, acting in a way that's unbecoming, I want to apologize for all of it. I've been really confused lately. I was angry at someone, and I'm still angry. But, I was taking my anger out on you. The truth is," She tucks some strands of hair behind her ear, saying something she hasn't said out-loud before. "I hate my dad. Strangely, I'm also thankful for him too—"

"I don't want to hear your life story." He cuts her off, making her look over. His eyes are open and on her.

"Did you hear my apology, though?" She inquires.

"Yes."

"Do you accept it?" She scoots just a hint closer to him.

"No." He answers, practically trampling over her very existence.

"You're so cold." She frowns. "Do you really hate me that much?"

"After everything you've done, do you expect me not to? Every word that comes out of your mouth may as well be a lie." His eyes narrow into that glare again. " _Villain._ "

Nobody other than him is capable of cutting so deeply into her with just words alone. That's something he always specialized in. Before his words comforted her and now all they serve to do is hurt. But, she can't blame him.

"I'm not a villain." She whispers, and he almost wants to laugh in amusement.

"Then, what are you?"

"I'm not a villain, and I'm not a hero either." She admits with a small smile. "I was never either of those things, and even now I'm incapable of both. What I am is an indecisive problem-child. Or, to keep it short," She shrugs slightly. "A disappointment."

The bus begins to move, jerking slightly. Silence hovers between the two of them. He doesn't respond to her words, and so far he's only been responding to her with objections. _For him to be silent now and after those words…_ She turns her head, looking at anything but him.

"So, you believe that?" She murmurs. "Even after you said every word that comes out of my mouth is a lie…" She feels his eyes on her. "That just goes to show, you only believe what brings you satisfaction."

"To say that just shows that you can't accept people believing the truth." He responds, making her grow somewhat pale. "A disappointment… that's what you've always been. If it took you this long to realize that, you really are stupid."

Her lips press together tightly, her teeth grinding together. A crease forms in her brow as her gaze falls to the ground. Frustration surges through her, but it's not directed towards him. She's angry with herself.

Why does she keep trying? Shouldn't she know by now that he's forever going to remain cold towards her? There really is no point in socializing with him. She really is stupid —that's something she can agree with.

By the time the bus pulls out onto a main road, Hotaru has turned away from Shoto completely. Her back is to him and her feet are resting in the middle aisle of the bus that resides between the seat. She rests her head against the cushioned seat, fiddling with her fingers to distract herself from previous events. Bakugo's sudden temper tantrum helps her with that.

Her eyes drift over to him, seeing him standing and yelling threats towards Kaminari who's merely grinning in amusement. She didn't quite catch their conversation, so she's not sure why Bakugo's all riled up. If she's being honest, she doesn't really care to find out why.

After talking with Shoto, she feels worthless. She always considered herself a disappointment. It's not anything new, but to hear Shoto say it hits her differently. Her eyelids lower until all she sees is black. Suddenly, she's tired.

"Let's not forget about Taru-chan!" Kaminari suddenly exclaims, ignoring Bakugo which makes him even more furious. Hotaru's eyes crack open and she looks over at him. Everyone's eyes are on her to her complete confusion.

"What?" She questions, monotone.

"Your quirk." He explains, smiling and holding his hand out to the side. "We were talking about who has the most flashy and strong quirks."

"But," Asui begins, bringing a single finger to her chin. "With that quirk, she won't be very popular. It's Lightning Beast's."

"Hey…" Kirishima frowns slightly at Asui. Whether that frown is one of disapproval, or one of worry that she might trigger Hotaru somehow, nobody knows.

"I-I'm sure that she'll be popular!" Sato stutters out forcefully when Hotaru's eyes seem to lose some sparkle. "With a quirk that powerful, she can take on just about anybody!"

"Yeah!" Mineta pops out of nowhere from the seat behind her. "Don't doubt my sexy Taru-chan!"

"She'll do great !" Ashido adds on with a dramatic nod.

Hotaru looks away from them, and the majority of everyone lets out a relieved breath. She lowers her eyelids once more. Nearly everyone on the bus really is that unsettled by her presence, why else would they tell lies and go against Asui's truthful words?

Hotaru raises her hand, making blue sparks flicker in her palm. Her eyes bore into the lightning and everyone around her seems to grow nervous at the presence of her lightning. They think she's going to shock them. She lowers her hand.

It's not a very heroic quirk. It can kill very easily. She's holding a quirk that has taken more lives than you can count on your fingers. She may as well be holding all the lives Lightning Beast has ever taken. All of his sins, and all of her own. To have such a burden in the palm of her hand, is it really that great? Now she's starting to question why she's still here. Maybe she should've just skipped out on today.

It doesn't take long to reach their destination. The first thing Hotaru notices when she emerges from the bus is a large dome-shaped building. She stares at it quietly, the breeze ruffling up her dark hair. Her classmates move past her, and blades of grass soar across her vision when the wind suddenly picks up.

She brings her hand up, keeping her hair from flying into her face. A shadow moving across the ground catches her eyes. Looking up, she can see a large hawk flying overhead. It's circling the area and hunting down prey. Slowly, she lowers her hand.

"Aihara-san." A familiar voice makes her look over. Midoriya is standing next to her.

He's fiddling with his fingers like he's nervous, but his eyes are gleaming in all seriousness. That persistent expression he's wearing makes her silver orbs widen a notch. She faces him and he forms determined fists.

"Let's work hard together, Aihara-san!" He utters, eyes sparkling.

She stares at him with parted lips, surprise evident on her features. Could he have felt bad for her after what happened on the bus? So, is this his way of trying to cheer her up and tell her she has what it takes to become a hero? If it was anybody else saying those words, she would believe them to be a lie. However, Midoriya is different from the rest.

She can tell that he's being genuine. There's something the two of them have in common, as well. If they really want to be heroes, they are going to have to work much harder than everyone else. They are currently last in the race.

"Right." She agrees, holding her fist up with a small smile. "Let's try our best."

He grins happily, bumping his fist against her own. Hotaru's silver eyes soften like honey, yet she can't stop her lips from down turning when he runs to catch up with the rest of the class. She's not even sure what she should be trying her best for anymore.

She hovers in the back as her class gathers around, a Pro Hero introducing themselves as the Space Hero, Thirteen. Hotaru's only heard about this hero, never seeing their appearance until now. Ironically, their costume resembles a space suit.

She only partially pays attention to their speech, especially when they enter the vast training grounds of the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. Her arms wrap around herself tightly, what transpired on the bus getting to her more than she would like. She wants to leave.

The moment Thirteen starts talking about her own quirk, everyone grows excited until she mentions something weighty—that her quirk can kill easily. In that moment, especially when Thirteen mentions that some of her classmates' quirks can kill easily as well, she feels like that entire sentence was only directed towards her. Her arms tighten around herself when it feels like she's suddenly made of lead.

From her going into depth of Aizawa's physical fitness test along with All Might's combat training, and explaining what they've learned from those tests, Hotaru can't relate. She didn't learn anything new regarding her quirk. She always knew her quirk was lethal. She had learned that long ago. Her eyes shut tightly. She feels out of place here. Can she leave?

Her class erupts with cheers once Thirteen is finished talking, and Hotaru merely looks off to the side. Her unpleasant past suddenly haunts her mind and she swallows thickly, seeing red. Becoming a hero… _was an unrealistic dream_. She was only fooling herself.

A bright flash brutally drags her out of her reminiscence, and all the color drains from her face. The lights cut off one by one and makes the large dome darker, and the sound of the fountain just down the stairs vanishes and leaves an eerie silence. She looks up in an instant, seeing blue electricity responsible for the outage.

 _Lightning._

Down below and directly next to a fountain a portal opens up. It's a purple haze that Hotaru recognizes instantly. _Kurogiri._ A hand reaches outwards from the misty portal, and Shigaraki reveals himself as well. They're not alone. A whole army of villains follows behind Shigaraki as he emerges from the portal, _so many familiar faces._

"Gather and don't move!" Aizawa orders in a loud and urgent tone. "Thirteen protect the students!"

"What's that?" Kirishima mutters to himself, gazing closer at the villains and taking a step closer along with Midoriya. "Is this like the entrance exam where the lessons already started?"

"Don't move!" Aizawa yells at them, making the two boys jump. He puts on his yellow goggles while his jaw tightens. "Those are villains."

That's when the whole class feels the fear they should've felt upon gazing upon them. Hotaru thinks they're all stupid in this moment for not realizing sooner, but perhaps it's because they've never seen these people before like she has. _Why now?_ This is what she feared the most.

"Taru~!" A sing-song voice calls out, and just like that it feels like a knife is being pushed into her gut. She darts forward instinctively and moves in front of Shoto to block him from view, nudging him backwards which makes his eyes widen a notch.

A hand with long and painted red nails reaches outwards from the portal before the rest of their form follows. Flowing and lengthy auburn hair, a voluptuous figure, and dark hickory eyes. Her mother's glossy red lips curve upwards as she gazes up at Hotaru. She's dressed in her dark maroon villain costume, resembling a predatory snake.

"Thank you so much, Taru." Her mother praises with flushed cheeks, clasping her hands together. "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have been able to get this far. Your father and I couldn't be more proud."

Her classmates look at her in fear. _No._ She's lying. This can't be happening. _I-It isn't happening!_ She's lying and everyone is falling for it. It just shows how much everyone here thinks so little of her. However, can she really blame them for believing her?

"D-Don't do this…" Hotaru barely gets out. "Please, don't do this."

"What's the matter, Taru? This was your plan from the beginning. You successfully deceived everyone and gave us All Might's schedule." A new voice joins in. _His_ voice.

He walks out from the dark mist, the chains of his attire jingling with each step he takes. His hood is up and concealing his scarred face and identity. She's the only one here who knows just who that is.

He set her up already, and now he's taking it another step forward only this time it's out in the open for everyone to see. Her lips part to beg him to stop, but she knows she'll only be wasting her breath. It won't change a thing, _like always._

This wasn't her plan. She never leaked any information, but this situation may as well be her fault. After all, she decided to enroll in this school by request. She dragged everyone here into this mess of hers. All because she wanted revenge against her own parents.

 _All because of Shoto._

Those words he spoke to her, the short-lived friendship they had, how he became her hero and how she became his, all of those sweet feelings she felt from back then… that was the only time in her life she felt truly happy. Now that happiness is gone. A shadow is cast over her face.

"You know as well as I do that I had nothing to do with this." She says, wasting her breath anyway.

From beneath her father's hood, his silver eyes glare more intensely than ever before at her. Her disobedience makes him livid. He holds his hand out, expression livid and demanding. She may as well be standing at a crossroad. This is her final chance.

"Taru, come here right now." He growls lowly.

"No, I won't. N-Not anymore. I don't want to be a villain anymore." Hotaru's fingers curl into tight fists, her nails digging into her flesh.

"You say that as if you have a choice. Being a villain is what you always wanted." His eyes soften and his head tilts. "Taru, after all the lives you took, after all the pain you caused, do you think you have the right to be a hero?"

The world around her distorts and her head ducks. Her rigid fists fall away when she lets her fingers go limp. _What she always wanted… after all the pain she's caused…_ She no longer feels trapped between two worlds, but rather cast aside into an unknown one. Whether a hero or villain, she never had the right to be either.

From the moment she was born she was brainwashed into thinking the heroes were the villains. It wasn't until she took upon the role of a villain herself when she realized just how wrong the whole thing was. All the people she met on her journey, all the people she hurt, they made her realize her wrongdoings in the most brutal way.

She knew what she was doing was wrong for the longest, but it was the only way for her to survive. _...No._ It was the only way she could grow stronger can get revenge on her parents. More importantly, _it was the only way she knew she would eventually find her way back to her dear friend._ Even though she was blinded by hatred towards him for the longest, that hatred was just an illusion of her own tribulations.

Because of her parents, her friendship with Shoto is broken beyond repair. Because of her parents, she can't see anything in her future other than her own death. Because of her parents, Daichi is hurt and in the hospital. Because of her parents, she can't be a hero or villain. Because of all of this… _she should thank them endlessly_.

Throughout this long journey, if anything, she has finally found herself. What's truly important, what she should do, everything comes to light right here and now. There's only one thing she can be, and that's not a hero or villain. _It's Hotaru Aihara._ Her lips slowly curve upwards. How disappointing. Is she only realizing these things now because she knows she's going to die today?

"I don't have the right to be a hero, but… even so," She whispers. "If anything, I have the right to stand against you."

Her father reaches up, taking his hood down and revealing to the world he's still alive. Mineta starts bawling and her class looks nothing but fearful. Bloodlust seeps from him and large amounts. Her mother scowls deeply, eyes flashing red.

"I should've killed you when I had the chance, you rat!" She spits out.

"Well, you didn't. Now," Hotaru forces a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest. "Face the consequences."

Her whole life she's been stuck under their thumbs, _but no more._ She won't let them ruin her life further, especially the innocent lives of those around her who are unfairly being drawn into this mess.

She knows she won't be able to hide Shoto from their sight for much longer, and she knows once they see him they'll go straight for his throat. On her life, she won't let them touch him. She won't let them touch anyone here. So, she needs them to direct all of their bloodlust towards her. She needs to get them to want to kill her so badly right here and now so everyone else is forgotten, _and it's already working_.

"Aihara, stand back." Aizawa orders her when she takes steps forward. The tension in the room is growing as her parents' anger grows.

"I'm sorry, Aizawa-san." She whispers while giving him an apologetic glance, using his name rather than his educational title. She can't help but to spare a glance for everyone else, too.

They all look so scared, and it makes her chest grow painfully tight. Despite that, she gives them a reassuring smile. Her eyes unintentionally lock with Bakugo's, and she realizes he's the only one who doesn't look fearful. She's not sure why she remembers when she told him she would fight him fairly one day. Unfortunately, that won't be happening.

She then looks at Mineta and Kaminari. The only two here that really tried to become her friend despite who she was. She supposes their dinner won't be happening either. How disappointing. She gives them both a small smile. Before they can respond in any way, her father's voice speaks out.

"That's…" Rai's voice makes her over. His eyes are wide and no longer staring at her, but rather Shoto. Bloodlust seeps from him and large amounts and his gaze snaps back over to her. "Endeavor's son? You said he wasn't a student here!"

"And you believed me." Hotaru instinctively takes more steps forward, placing herself between them both. "Do you feel dumb yet? Did you truly think that I allowed myself to follow in your footsteps for so long for the sole purpose of being a villain? Did you think I wouldn't become aware of your manipulative ways? I'm not as low as you are. I have many other goals, don't you know?"

"This whole time you were protecting him?! Taru!" His uncanny voice roars viciously, and then all eyes are on her.

Hotaru stands at the top of the stairway and stares down at him. Their silver eyes clash, and that's when realization decides to hit her. He's going to kill her, right here and now. She looks away from him, slowly looking at each of her frightened classmates once more before zoning in on a stunned Shoto.

His lips are parted, eyes wide as he stares right back at her. Countless emotions swarm in her silver orbs. Fear, sadness, and remorse. Those are the emotions that stand out among the rest. She smiles at him and turns her attention back to her parents standing below, that single action strangely feeling like a goodbye.

"And what of it?" Hotaru replies nonchalantly.

Shoto takes a single step towards her, _only to find himself face to face with Lightning Beast._

Everything happens so quickly that nobody can keep up. Lightning Beast moves like he's lightning itself, moving at a blinding speed with a blindingly bright form. Although most can't see him, they can easily sense his virulent bloodlust. Even Aizawa can't keep him within his sight.

The world moves in slow motion for Shoto. He staggers backwards, feeling panicked as he stares into heinous silver eyes. He stared into eyes this color many times before, but this pair is unfamiliar. There's nothing he can do, shock and fear having him frozen in place. Even if he could move, it just isn't possible to keep up with him. Thunder booms.

Lightning Beast suddenly ceases in his advance. He's a mere few inches away from killing Shoto, but he abruptly takes backwards steps with his now quivering form. Sweat trickles down Shoto's temple when the dangerous villain coughs up a large amount of blood. _What just happened?_ It's silent until Rai roars fiercely, his veins popping out from his scarred face.

"Hotaru!"

Shoto looks over at the figure by his side. Slowly, Hotaru lowers her bloodied arm. Droplets of thick red drip from her fingers and splat onto the ground. Her slightly hunched over form straightens up, revealing her perilous eyes that even make him shiver. Sparks decorate her skin from her enhanced movements to stop her father. She moves directly in front of Shoto like she's a shield, her shoulders rising and falling from her heavy breaths.

"Why are you so surprised? Didn't I warn you what would happen if you tried to touch anyone here?" Her silver orbs glow cyan. "Don't underestimate me. After all," She slowly smirks, raising her arm that's coated with _his_ blood. "I'm the only one here who can kill you with ease."

That's right. Unlike herself who can create and manipulate lightning, he has the ability to transform into lightning itself. However, not every part of him can become lightning. His vital organs still remain ordinary. All someone needs to do is bypass that lightning barrier land a solid hit. With her resistance, she can easily do just that without any lethal consequences, _like she just did._

"Taru—!" He starts to yell until Aizawa's capture tape coils around him. With quick movements, Aizawa knees him between the eyes and sends him flying back down the stairs and crashing into Hotaru's mother, Two-Face. Hotaru gasps in surprise at the interruption.

"Kaminari, try contacting the school with your Quirk." Aizawa says, proceeding to advance on the other villains while Kaminari promptly complies.

"R-Right."

"What about you, sir?! Will you fight by yourself?" Midoriya questions in panic. "With that many, even if you erase their quirks… Eraserhead's fighting style is capturing after erasing the enemy's quirk. A frontal battle is..."

"You can't be a hero with just one trick." Aizawa looks over his shoulder and at him.

"I'll go with you, Sensei!" Hotaru quickly steps forward. "This is all my fault, so I—!"

"No." He cuts her off and her expression shows nothing but hurt. He looks down at her. "Evacuate with everyone else."

She shakes her head in objection, her frizzy hair swishing. Her silver eyes become glossed over. She can't let him fight all of these villains by herself, _especially her parents_. If he gets hurt, she doesn't know what she'll do. Just the thought of it sends her in hysteria.

Aizawa saved her. From the day they met, he's been nothing but authentic in his words and actions. He's seen through her before anyone else. He's the only one she feels comfortable talking to and being around. He seen her tears. He consoled her in many ways, and even though she won't dare ever say this out loud, in the short time she's known him he's become a father-figure to her. She should be the one to set things right. This is her fault so she must take responsibility.

"Sensei, please!" She argues. "Midoriya is right. You shouldn't go alone. Against that many, it doesn't matter how many tricks you have. Y-You'll die!"

"I told you once before, signing death certificates comes with the job." He says, and her eyes widen. He looks away from her and at the villains below. "Thirteen, I'm leaving it to you."

Instantly after those words, Aizawa leaps down with his capture weapon ready. He's really going to take on all of those villains by himself, really going to fight her parents, _by himself._ Her feet move on their own to follow after him.

"Aizawa—!" She starts to yell after him with her tightened throat until someone grabs her wrist.

"Aihara-san."

That voice makes her stop in her tracks, and she looks over her shoulder. Shoto's the one who has a hold on her wrist. Everyone is heading to safety with Thirteen while she's desperately trying to go to where the villains are. Why is he stopping her? He doesn't care about her, he made that very clear.

"We need to go." He says, and she tries to pry her wrist from his grip, which only results in it growing tighter.

"But, Sensei's…!" She begins in objection, only for her words to come to a halt when she looks back down the flight of stairs.

Aizawa is holding his ground against the villain army, looking as if it's not a challenge at all. He's taking on her mother right now, and he's easily able to send her flying into another villain that was approaching him from behind. But, _where is her father?_ She can't see him.

"All we can do is trust him. Let's go." Shoto tugs on her arm, leading her towards the exit with the others.

Trusting him really is all she can do. He is faring well, and when they leave this place they'll inform the other pro heroes of what's transpiring. Help will arrive soon, and everything will backfire on the villains. Everything will be fine. She just needs to trust him, but for some reason that doesn't feel like it's enough.

She stares at the back of Shoto's head, then at his hand tugging her along to safety. Her eyelids lower slightly and she looks off to the side. She almost trips over her own two feet. Maybe this is for the best. If she went down there with Aizawa, she would only be slowing him down. Because, _when she stopped her father from attacking Shoto…_ She uses the dry portion of her sleeve to wipe away the blood escaping the corner of her mouth. Her muscles cramp achingly.

 _She was careless._

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~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

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Vanquishing

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Even though she stopped his pain for a short moment, she wanted to stop it completely. She gave everything she had and it still wasn't enough, yet she isn't surprised. _That's just how her life is._ She's already slipping as his fist comes soaring in her direction with incredible speed. Her eyelids start to lower as her legs go limp. She can't move. She's scorching. This is the end of the road.

The moment her eyes shut, she can see two koi fish swimming within the dark world she's being sucked into. _Yin and Yang_. She reaches towards them only for them to get further away when Shoto yells.

"Taru!"

Her eyes fly open the moment his fist makes contact with her abdomen, and Shigaraki smiles, praising her assailant.

"Good job, Nomu."


	16. Vanquishing

**AugustRrush:** Thank you so much ~ ! Next chapter for you ＼(≧▽≦)／

 **Guest:** hahaha ~ thank you so much, that means a lot. I'm so happy you're enjoying this! It's quite fun to write ~ you're absolutely right. some real good shotoxhotaru is just around the corner ❤ (´ ∀ ` *)

 **kirika o7:** ehehe, angst is great ~ suffering time now mwahaha ~ (✧ω✧) *hype* lolol, i hope you enjoy this chapter :D

 **ILikeFoxes828:** i dunno what's up with me and cliffhangers but there's just something about them, ehe (¯▿¯) and omg, you binge read? thank you so so sooo much ~ i happy you enjoyed, and i hope you enjoy this chapter too. ❤

 **Rynxenvy** : i sure hope so too bc good grief ! ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡ haha

 **bbymojo:** oh goodness, thank you a ton. i'm really touched, truly! ❤ i'm so happy to write something for you to enjoy ❤ and yeah, me and my cliffhangers lmao. thank you so much again, and i hope you enjoy this chapter! (⌒‿⌒)

 **Oblivious IJ** : ahhh~ good one! :D and yes, Shoto better make his move quick of the fruit/diaper bowl might snatch Hotaru up (￢‿￢ )

 **Lavi hime 4E 3** : it was so intense to write, aha. next chapter for you , and i have lots of shotaru brewing!❤ i hope you enjoy.

 **kaycblu** : ahaha xD sorry about that, ❤ i hope you enjoy this chapter ! :D

 **PotatoFaye:** yes someone needs to smack some sense into him (╥﹏╥) , she's trying so very hard. hopefully he'll loosen up now, ❤ he needs to see how amazing she can be

 **lovelyhatter** : thank you so much, that makes me more than happy! it means literally so much. next chapter for you, i really hope you enjoy ! (＾▽＾)

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 **literally uploading this from school, lol** \\(^ヮ^)/

 **i apologize for any errors, and i hope everyone enjoys.**

 **make sure you take care of yourselves and try not to catch a cold, it's that time of the year.**

 **thank you for reading.** ❤

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Vanquishing

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There is an unpleasant churning in Hotaru's gut. Leaving Aizawa behind, although it was for the best, was it right? With the amount of regret she feels there's no way it can be. She has the urge to turn around and run full speed to where he's at, but she doubts she'll be able to. For some unknown reason, Shoto won't let her.

His grip on her wrist is firm and she has no choice but to follow him. He's much stronger than she is, so she can't break free unless she shocks the living daylights out of him. That's something she doesn't want to do. However, she has to try something. Surely her going back won't mean a thing to him. Why he's even dragging her along like this is questionable. Her lips part to speak.

"Sho—"

"I won't let you."

Hotaru tenses at the voice that interrupted her. It wasn't Shoto's voice, _not even close._ Shoto comes to a stop so suddenly she runs into his back with a short squeak upon contact. His grip on her grows tighter and he gets into a defensive stance. That's when Hotaru looks further ahead to see Kurogiri blocking their path. Her classmates tremble in fright.

"Nice to meet you. We are the League of Villains. It may be presumptuous of us, but we have invited ourselves in to the home of the heroes, U.A. High School." Kurogiri begins, and Hotaru can't stop herself from scowling. "We are here in order to have All Might, the Symbol of Peace, take his last breath."

At that, Hotaru's scowl fades and her eyes widen. Her pupils shrink as she grows pale, sweat forming on her temple. _Have All Might take his last breath?_ Of course, how could she have forgotten that? Just the other day he and her father were fantasizing about that ludicrous goal. Her fingers curl into tight fists. After all, her father said she was their "trump card."

His prodigy, his trump card, _his daughter._ That's all she's ever been, _his._ Her eyes sting abruptly, and her vision blurs momentarily. She hates him and this whole villain thing more than anything else, and it's starting to show on her features.

"I believe All Might should've been here. Has there been some kind of change? Well, that is neither here nor there. This is the part I am to play." Kurogiri continues, his shadowy form growing larger as he's obviously about to do something. Hotaru takes aim at him with her fingers, her eyes glowing cyan.

Before she can even do anything, Bakugo and Kirishima charge forward to attack. A loud explosion erupts. Their actions make her nearly gasp aloud. Brave, _and utterly reckless_. Not only that, their combined attacks have caused smoke to spew and cloud her vision.

"Did you consider that you'd get beaten by us before you did it?" Kirishima rebukes, and Hotaru steps forward.

"You guys are stupid!" She yells out to wherever Bakugo and Kirishima are. "Get away from him!"

The smoke starts to clear away, and Kurogiri's shadow starts to emerge. He lets out a sigh as if he's pleased, and that makes her even more on edge. He's completely unfazed?

"Oh dear, that's dangerous." He says, his glowing yellow eyes making themselves known as they narrow. "That's right. Even if you are mere students, you are excellent golden eggs."

Once his form is completely visible again, something catches Hotaru's eyes. She caught a glimpse of something beneath all of the dark mist that makes up his body. It was shiny and sleek, something she instantly recognizes as metal. It's armor of some sort obviously made to protect his weakest point. So, if she aims her lightning there, _surely it'll take him down_.

She takes aim at him again quickly, but she doesn't shoot. Instead, her fingers tremble. Although it's hard to tell just who Kurogiri is looking at, something in her gut is telling her that he's watching her _very_ closely. His eyes narrow as if he's daring her to try and hit him. She so badly wants to take on that dare, but with his warping quirk, could he possibly change the course of her strike?

"No! Move away, you two!" Thirteen yells in warning, getting ready to use her quirk. Hotaru lowers her hand in frustration, deciding to hold off. However, Kurogiri's next actions make her wish she would've just tried her luck. His dark misty form expands immeasurably, shooting towards them all as his voice echoes.

"My job is to scatter you and torture you to death!"

Before she even knows it, she's consumed by the dark haze. She brings her arms up to shield her face from the intense wind and dust particles. She can't see a thing and a sudden fearful shiver shoots down her spine when she realizes something. _Shoto's grip is no longer there._ Where did he go? What happened? Kurogiri, _what did he do?_ She reaches around blindly.

"Shoto?!" She calls out desperately, looking around in all directions.

"Aihara-san?" His voice calls back, yet sounding so far away. Despite that, she runs towards it.

Her feet carry her as quickly as possible through the dark mist, and by some miracle she can make out his silhouette. She lets out a breath of relief when his eyes meet hers. He moves towards her as well, all while holding his hand out. She reaches out to grab hold of it with the tiniest of smiles until something coils around her ankle tightly. Shoto vanishes.

She's pulled onto the ground and she lets out a painful hiss, her hands that have barely caught herself scraping against the rough concrete, and the way her ankle twists too far to the right. She looks over her shoulder, paling at the chain responsible for seizing her. _This chain is…_ It starts to drag her back and into a portal she only just now noticed.

"N-No wait!" She cries out pathetically like he'll listen. He doesn't. Her fingernails scrape against the rough ground in a futile attempt to keep herself rooted in the same spot. In an instant she's swallowed up by the warp gate and thrown harshly into something solid.

Whatever she's thrown into bashes painfully against her back. Every single ounce of air is knocked from her lungs, and she gasps heavily as she fights for breath. Her eyes squeeze shut, and she instantly tastes blood in her mouth. She trembles from head to toe and her eyes slowly crack open.

A cluster of green is what she sees along with countless branches. There's no breeze and the air is stagnant, _dead._ She can't make out a single sound due to the ringing in her ears. Painfully, she rolls onto her hands and knees. She coughs harshly and wipes at the corner of her mouth, red soaking into her sleeve.

Her eyes bore into the dirt ground that she was slammed against. As much as she wants to remain still to catch her breath and quell the rattling of her head, she's not given any time to do so. Something is approaching her at rapid speed.

With a gasp, she channels lightning within her own body, compelling her muscles to work and move at enhance speed. She rolls and avoids the fist that nearly smashed into her face and hops onto her feet. Instantly she winces, finding herself having to put most of her weight onto her left foot. Her right ankle is radiating a sharp pain.

Sinister laughs make her look up. A hoard of villains are revealing themselves from the dense greenery and surrounding her. Her eyes dart around, counting at least fifteen of them in total. When her eyes zone in on the villain responsible for attacking her, she can't stop her breath from getting caught in her throat.

That tall and lanky physique, that tattered attire and familiar murderous aura, there's no mistaking it. How he's even here is unclear. He was sent to prison after Aizawa had dealt with him. She can only assume Kurogiri was behind his obvious breakout.

"I wasn't able to do away with you last time, but now there will be no interruptions." He chuckles atrociously, flexing his rubber limbs to intimidate her. "And this time, you are hopelessly outnumbered and alone."

"Big numbers don't bother me and the fact that I'm alone bothers me even less." She says, making him glare.

"What?" He spits out.

"Since it's just us here, there's no need for me to hold back."

"You're bluffing—!"

Hotaru casually throws her arm out to the side, shooting lethal lightning at the villain closest to her. He screams in agony, and the lightning passes through him and towards the next villain in line, then the next, _and then the next_. As if they were all connected by a chain, each and every one of them are caught in her excruciating lightning trap.

The rubber villain looks around in panic, seeing all his companions crumbling to the ground unconscious one by one. With an intense glare, he looks back towards Hotaru only to see that she's gone. He takes a step back in unease, trying to locate her. It's as if she disappeared.

The branches above his head rustle and a crack of thunder follows instantly. He looks up much too late. Even if he looked up seconds earlier, he still would've been too late. She's moving far too fast for him to keep up. He can't even scream.

Her form is glowing, her costume making her look like a supercell storm cloud with the vivid lightning patterns adorning it. Her silver eyes are shining cyan and ominous. She moves like a hurricane, twisting through the air and landing a harsh kick on the crown of his head, hitting him in the exact same spot Eraserhead did just yesterday. His eyes roll backwards, and his body goes limp, her vigorous kick knocking him out instantly.

Hotaru lands on the ground in a way that would've been graceful if it wasn't for her stumbling due to her injured ankle. She bends down and rubs at it with a heavy breath, sweat trickling down her face. Her body is heating up, but her costume is already working at cooling her down. However, it's not the heat that's bothering her. In fact, it isn't even that bad.

What's bothering her is how she was careless with her quirk earlier which strained her body immensely, how Aizawa's fighting alone, how she's been separated from Shoto and her classmates, how her father is the one who dragged her into the warp hole yet he's not even here. What is he trying to do?

This area she's been thrown to had villains waiting for her. However, only one of them had a quirk that was suitable to counter her own, and she was only able to take him down easily by hitting the only part of him that wasn't rubber. She has Aizawa to thank for that discovery.

Nevertheless, since the other villains here didn't stand a chance, she questions whether or not she was supposed to be sent here to face them of all people. Or, since her father dragged her here alongside Kurogiri, perhaps these villains aren't her main opponents. That would make sense since they were hardly a challenge.

She shakes her head and straightens up. Either way, why she's been sent to this location doesn't matter. She needs to get to Shoto, _fast_. Right now, he's her number one priority. She's sure her father must be nearby, but with his injury he won't last much longer. She could say the same about herself, but she's not as bad off as he is. Despite her promise to Recovery Girl, if she needs to go beyond her limits she'll gladly do so.

"Taru, just what do you think you're doing?" A voice suddenly speaks up from behind her.

Hotaru turns around quickly, her hair whipping at her fast movements. Although she had a feeling he was nearby, she didn't think he would be this close. His silver eyes are piercing as they glare at her. However, her eyes widen slightly.

Him being here must mean he escaped Aizawa. Sweat forms on her temple. _Aizawa._ She needs to get to him too. Her fingers curl into fists. With this dense scenery, it's like she's trapped in a maze. Which way does she go to get out of it?

"Taru." Rai repeats, taking steps towards her.

His movements are nonchalant, like he's not worried in the slightest. Although his eyes are intense, there is a calmness to them. Despite his injury, despite knowing she can kill him with ease, he's approaching her. He takes out his chain of rope, and she feels a sense of panic. It's just her and him here, and she knows what he's going to do.

Everything in her is screaming to run, but she can't. She can't outrun him, and she has nowhere to run to. Even if she could, and even if she had a place to go, him being here is the easily worst situation.

He's here to kill All Might, and now that he knows Shoto is here it's guaranteed that he'll kill him too. He won't hesitate to kill anyone here. She needs to stop him. There's no other options. That's the only thing she can do. She won't let him touch anyone here. He'll have to go through her first, _and he knows that._

"What I'm doing…" She murmurs, her entire body now emitting a blue glow. Her lips part, her shoulders rising and falling notably as she takes in a few deep breaths to try and quell her wildly beating heart. "...is what I always wanted to do."

The still air is filled with a ringing sound. Rai comes to a stop, making the jingling of his chains and the sound of his feet moving through the grass cease. He gazes at her and she holds that gaze. There's a sudden and unusual breeze that caresses her from behind.

Blades of grass and leaves flow past her and towards her father, almost as if it's reminding her of her inevitable fate by his hands. She swallows thickly, and even though her hot lightning is coating her, it can only do so little to counter against the cold fear strangling her from within.

This is something she couldn't avoid no matter which path she chose, and she wishes so badly that things were different. Yet, wishing such a thing isn't realistic. It's not her place to do so. Perhaps all along this is what she deserved.

All of her sins and all of her regrets and foolish acts have led to this. If only she done things differently. But, even if this is the end for her, she won't allow this to be the end for anyone else. If she's going to die right here and now, she's going to leave her mark. This time, she'll be the one to save Shoto. She'll save everyone here.

She slides her foot forward and Rai's form turns into a beast of lightning. An intense murderous intent fills the air and she wouldn't be surprised if everyone in U.S.J. can feel it. The moment she sucks in a breath, a loud boom of thunder shakes her to her very core, _then he vanishes._ Her jaw locks and the sound of his chains make her look to her right.

Glistening chains are cutting through the air towards her. She ducks underneath them with the simple bend and twist of her body, reaching out and grabbing a hold of the weapon. Yanking it, she throws it off course. However, upon grabbing it lightning that isn't her own flows into her body.

Naturally, she's unaffected due to her resistance. However, she quickly drops the chain knowing her resistance isn't infinite. His form appears by her side and she barely dodges his lightning hand that tries to grab her.

Somersaulting backwards, she pushes her legs as hard as she can against the ground, ignoring the cramping of her muscles and burning ankle. She launches herself towards him with rapid speed, her hand ready to cut right through him. He dodges and she staggers.

She winces when she accidentally puts too much weight onto her right foot, and makes a wry face at the blood coating her tongue. Earlier she was careless, and now she's being reckless. For her to be moving just as fast as him on a forest terrain such as this is something she shouldn't be doing.

She can't rely on her surroundings and can only use her own body, and that is a major burden. She's being more mindful than before, focusing her inner lightning solely on her limbs and needed muscles to prevent any further internal bleeding from whatever organ she injured earlier. Yet, even being careful isn't doing her any good.

At this rate she won't last much longer. She's bound to overheat faster since she's using her speed technique constantly with no breaks, and even though her costume is cooling her down it can only do so much. She has to end this now before she becomes immobile… _if only she could catch him._

He's attacking her left and right, and all she can do is dodge. Sweat trickles down her face and her breaths come and go rapidly. This is a one-sided battle. How he's managing this speed and strength doesn't make any sense. He shouldn't be able to perform so highly with his injury, _so why—?_ His chain coils around her wrist.

Her eyes widen and she lets out a gasp when she's yanked forward. She tries to pull her arm free to no avail. He drops down from the tree ahead of her, and his lips curve upwards into a smirk. Her vision blurs and he raises the other end of his chain that has her captive.

"You lost, _hero._ "

With nimble and strong movements, he pulls on the lightning coated chain. Hotaru would've screamed if things didn't transpire so quickly. She's airborne for not even a second, then thrown brutally into a sturdy tree.

The big plant rattles upon impact while she's blinded by pain. Blood soaks into the ground when she coughs harshly and her knees buckle, leaving her on her hands and knees. A tugging on her wrist makes her look up to see his chain still holding her captive.

"That was the most pathetic performance I've ever seen from you." Rai muses aloud as he approaches her. "Did you stop training when I left?"

She doesn't answer him and merely stares at the ground. _No._ She never stopped her training. Every day until recently, she trained for the sole purpose to surpass him, _like they both wanted._ She knew defeating him wouldn't be easy. In fact, she knew she never stood a chance, but she had that chance today. Something's not right. Despite her own injuries, he won too easily. Or, perhaps she underestimated him.

"...I'm not done yet." She speaks weakly, pushing herself up with quivering limbs. "N-Not yet…"

"It's over." He rebukes and she glares up at him.

"No! It's not!" She screams at him, tears pricking her eyes. "I-I'm going to make you suffer for everything you've done! Even if I end up killing myself right here and now, I'll make you suffer for everything… M-mom too. For brainwashing me, for ruining my friendship with Shoto, for hurting Daichi, for all those people you killed…!" Tears stain her cheeks. "I'll make you regret everything in the worst way possible, y-you sick bastard…!"

"Oh? That's an interesting choice of words from a 'hero.'" He crouches before her with dark eyes. "I don't think you're in a position to make me suffer. _It's over._ Now," He wraps his arms around her, holding her against his chest. "Come back to me."

"W-What?" She whispers.

"You're not suited to be a hero. You know that. You're too deep into the villain world to cross over to the hero one." He speaks, resting his chin atop her head. "These heroes are the ones brainwashing you. I warned you about them a long time ago. Remember that night. Remember Endeavor. Remember those words his brat spoke to you."

Her breath gets caught in her throat, and her eyes slowly widen. The comforting scent of her father travels up her nostrils and her tears soak into his attire.

"T-Those words he spoke to me…" She whispers, her hands reaching up to grip his shirt.

•

" _This whole time… you were a villain?"_

•

" _Heroes and villains can't be friends."_

•

"Yes." Rai soothes. "Don't forget how he easily left you. He was never your friend to begin with. He's the son of Endeavor, the hero that ruined our lives. His son is just like him. Surely you've noticed. He doesn't care about you, so why protect him?"

It's true that Shoto has become unbearably cold. Ever since she reunited with him, it's been nothing but glares and painful words. Their friendship is long gone and beyond repair. He doesn't care about her. Maybe protecting him is nothing but trivial, _and that's okay_.

Even though Shoto's words cut through her without remorse, it's not for no reason. Even though those words make her want to cry, they are the truth. Even though Shoto doesn't care about her, she cares about him. She wants to protect him despite it all.

After all, all of his countless hurtful actions can't compare to the few kind things he's done for her. Kindness, no matter how small, is always much more powerful than hurt. He taught her that.

He consoled her yesterday when she was distressed, and just earlier he reached out and grabbed her hand, _and then all those years ago_. She remembers that day clearly. They sat in the park. A little rain and then some sun. He saved her with just words. _Those words you spoke to me, Shoto…_

•

" _Decide who you want to become and be all you can be. Even without a quirk, Taru, you can be whatever you want!"_

•

"You're right…" Hotaru breathes out, wrapping her arms around her father tightly. "Y-You're right. I'm so sorry. I was such a fool. I shouldn't have betrayed you."

"I know. It's alright." Rai smiles softly when she looks up at him with her sheen eyes, _completely broken._ "Shall we go meet up with your mother now—?"

Pain. That's what makes him stop in his speech. Rai slowly tears his eyes away from Hotaru and looks down, seeing a knife dug deeply into his abdomen. It's his knife. When she embraced him just moments earlier, she was secretly reaching for the knife he keeps in his belt.

He didn't want to believe it. He wanted to think his precious daughter was merely joking about this whole hero thing, and clearly she's not. She would really go to such extremes to protect Endeavor's son? Cierra was right about his dear prodigy since the very beginning, just like he underestimated the will and strength of his daughter since the beginning.

With a shadow cast over her face, Hotaru shoves the knife deeper into him while twisting the blade. His blood coats her hand. Rai chokes on his own blood, although his lips are curved upwards.

"This is all for that brat?" He gurgles out.

"Don't misjudge me." She whispers. "This isn't just to protect him. I warned you what would happen if you came here, and yet doing this isn't even satisfying to me. Your life compared to the ones you took is equivalent to nothing. Ending you isn't even enough to fill the void of sorrow you shaped."

"Really? That's quite unfortunate that you feel that way. I wanted to believe that this dream of yours was fraudulent, but you proved me wrong. Fine, be a hero if that's what you really want. See how far you can get. But, let me tell you this."

Hotaru slowly looks up at him, growing shades lighter when his face starts to droop and become deformed. He's slowly turning brown and melting into a pool of mud. _A fake?_ This whole time, she was fighting a fake? He sneers.

"You won't get far. You'll come running back to me. I'll make sure of it." He reaches up and cups her cheek, and she pushes him backwards in disgust. "Whether you like it or not, you're _my_ daughter. Who will accept you? No one. You act as if you haven't committed crimes just as bad as mine. Just like me, you have blood all over your hands, and you expect to save people with those hands?! Ha! You'll never become a hero, just like you'll never get your friend back! I'll make him and you suffer. You'll never…!"

His venomous words gradually fade as his false body does. The only proof that he was even there is the puddle of ick she's now sitting in. His disappearance has left the air devoid of any sound, and her very existence as vacant as an empty shell.

Her fluffy bangs cover her eyes and her hands lay limply in her lap. Before she was trembling and now she's motionless. Her dulled eyes stare as the slimy puddle, her lips slightly parted. All she can hear is an agonizing ringing within her own head, and when she stands up, she's surrounded by countless corpses. They fade in and out like a glitching television.

Wordlessly and with no destination, she starts walking off with a limp. Every movement of hers is slow, her body cramping constantly. Her arms slowly rise to wrap around herself and she bites down harshly on her lower lip. Even though she's alone it feels as if he's still haunting her. Over and over again, his words replay.

 _Does someone like her have the right to be a hero?_

Eventually she emerges from the forest, finding herself standing on solid concrete once more. Her eyelids drapes over her eyes, and she lets out a pathetic whimper at the severe throbbing pain in her ankle. She now can't put any weight on it without it feeling like it's going to snap.

Something comes in contact with the tip of her foot and she nearly loses her poor balance. Her eyes crack open, her blurry vision gradually growing more clear as they focus in on the object she kicked. Instantly, her pupils shrink while her heart stops.

"A-Aizawa's goggles…?" She murmurs to herself, crouching down to pick them up. There's blood on them, and that makes her insides ice over. She looks ahead in an instant, coincidentally when a pain-filled groan sounds out.

The moment she looks up, she's just in time to witness Aizawa's head being smashed into the concrete with enough force to form a small crater. He's bloodied all over and covered in severe wounds. His elbow is abnormally cracked as if it was crumbling. A humanoid monster is crushing him, snapping him like he's a twig. Her favorite teacher, her favorite hero, her mentor, _he's…_

"...What are you doing to him?" She questions, making herself known. Vivid blue sparks begin to form around her, and her illuminated eyes are turbulent although her expression is horrified. "Get off of him."

Shigaraki looks over at her and starts lightly scratching at his neck. Ever so slightly, his head tilts to the side. Seeing her alive is surprising, but unimportant. That expression on her face is far too delightful. He extends his arms as he speaks.

"Did you come to join our game—?"

"I'm not interested in you, I'm interested in that thing." Hotaru instantly cuts him off, locked onto the monster pining Aizawa down. She takes a single step forward, the pain she was feeling being blocked out entirely by her rage. "I said get off of him!"

The creature doesn't even budge and nor does it look her way. Its disgusting eyes stay locked onto Aizawa who is just barely able to look in her direction. The moment his eyes lock with hers, the unbelievable pain he's enduring sinks in even more, and even though he's in pain, his eyes are telling her to go away. As if she could do such a thing. Her body moves on its own.

She tosses his goggles aside and raises her hand skywards. A tiny flicker of lightning generates in her palm before vanishing. A few silent seconds go by. Then, replacing that small flicker is an enormous spark that causes the ground to crack beneath her feet. Her whole form glows bright and her hair is wild. She lowers her hand, taking aim at the gruesome monster. Loud thunder shakes the entire dome.

"Do you not know what 'get off' means? Do you not speak Japanese? Let's try English then." Her head tilts back slightly, and her own murderous intent seeps outwards as she switches languages. "Get the hell off of him."

Shigaraki can't hold back his amused laugh, and that makes Hotaru's intimidating gaze move over to him. Just her eyes alone are able to ask him what's so funny, and he shamelessly explains.

"Nomu only listens to me, and he definitely won't listen to a brat who wants to play hero." He points a single finger at her. "Besides, if you unleash that attack you'll be hitting your beloved Sensei too. You can't do anything to save him."

Hotaru's head lowers just enough so a shadow falls over her face. He's right. She can't hurt Nomu without hurting Aizawa too. But, there's another route she can take. She's tired of people underestimating her. Her lips twitch upwards and she lets out a short laugh. This is too perfect.

"Then…" She turns and faces him, and his red eyes widen when she takes aim at him instead. "I'll just make him move."

She acts swiftly without warning, waiting for nothing. The temperature of the air surrounding her body rises, and the whole interior turns into a light show when she unleashes her highest voltage strike.

It cuts cleanly through the air. The immense power behind her own attack makes her stagger backwards, and she lets out a gasp at the aching recoil. Despite that, she holds her ground and makes sure to drag out her thunderbolt strike for as long as possible. She wants to end this with one strike.

Lightning up to a billion volts closes in on Shigaraki in less than a second. Just before he's caught up in its lethalness, Nomu jumps in front of him and takes the blow in order to shield him, _just like Hotaru wanted_. The humanoid monster lets out a loud and inhuman screech, it's skeleton shining through.

Nomu's cells burn away into ashes one by one. Black steam rises off from its form and it doesn't take long for Hotaru's lightning to burst right through his chest. Another loud crack of thunder echoes. A shock-wave makes the nearby trees rustle, and her and everyone's hair whip. Dust kicks up and blows like a sandstorm.

When her lightning dies out, Nomu crumbles onto the ground and lies there motionless. Hotaru's hand drops back to her side. She's drenched in her own sweat, her muscles cramping more than before while her head pounds. Her breaths come in and out rapidly.

The state of unconsciousness is already trying to swallow her whole, and she fights it desperately. She nearly succumbs to it until Nomu's body starts to bubble, _and not from the heat._ Her eyes slowly widen and her stomach twists wretchedly.

The hole in its chest is mending and the severe burns are healing. She watches in horror when the monstrous create begins to stand, and Shigaraki's amused laugh reaches her ears. She takes a backwards step. _Regeneration?_ That's impossible. Aizawa desperately tries to push himself up.

"Nomu was designed specifically to kill All Might. You don't stand a chance." Shigaraki stretches his arms outwards and widely. "...It's game over for you."

A strong gust of wind rams into her while a shadow looms over her. She blinks looking up and finding herself staring into the eyes of Nomu. How can someone move so fast that she can't even comprehend what's happening? How can someone be so strong? After being shocked with a billion-volt strike, how? This shouldn't be possible. Even though this is happening in a matter of seconds, it feels like time has stopped completely.

Her arms hang limply at her sides, her eyes losing their shine. The expression on her face is no longer horrified, but despondent. She can't move. She doesn't have the energy to. She's void of everything. This is all she can do. She spares a glance at Aizawa. His eyes are glowing red as he focuses on Nomu, a sad attempt to save her. Futile or not, she appreciates it.

Even though she stopped his pain for a short moment, she wanted to stop it completely. She gave everything she had and it still wasn't enough, yet she isn't surprised. _That's just how her life is._

She's already slipping as Nomu's large fist comes soaring in her direction with incredible speed. Her eyelids start to lower as her legs go limp. She can't do anything. She's scorching. This is the end of the road.

The moment her eyes shut, she can see two koi fish swimming within the dark world she's being sucked into. _Yin and Yang_. She reaches towards them only for them to get further away when Shoto yells.

"Taru!"

Her eyes fly open the moment Nomu's fist makes contact with her abdomen, and Shigaraki smiles, praising her assailant.

"Good job, Nomu."

Hotaru really doesn't understand why Shoto would show up now of all times and call out to her exactly like he did back then. _He said Taru._ She really wishes he didn't. She really wishes he wasn't standing by the tree-line with that distressed expression. It would save her from any more pain.

Although Nomu's fist makes contact with her abdomen, that's all it does. It doesn't push into her rib-cage and shatter her bones. It doesn't end her in one hit like it was intended too, because she miraculously dunks underneath it with her quirk. What happens next makes her wish she would've just let it hit her.

The moment she crouches, Nomu crouches too. She trembles in fright at the close proximity, and tenses when her presumably broken ankle is ceased tightly. Tears prick her eyes and she cries out, pathetically trying to pry herself free. Everything is happening too fast and she's struggling to focus.

"N-No—!" She starts to cry out.

Nomu hauls her up over his head, turning and slamming her onto the solid ground below. Then, she feels and hears the cracks of the crumbling concrete below her, along with the cracks of her ribs. She coughs up blood. The air is knocked mercilessly from her body, and pain radiates from every part of her. She's hauled up again, but instead of getting slammed into the ground again like she thought, she's fiercely thrown aside, _and right into Shoto._

The two of them grunt upon impact and fall roughly onto the ground. Shoto takes the brunt of the fall with Hotaru landing on top of him. He winces slightly while Hotaru remains motionless, her face in his chest. She can't focus on anything other than this intense pain, _and to think that Aizawa endured this times ten…_

Shoto moves from beneath her. He's saying something but he sounds so far away. It's almost as if she's underwater and he's speaking to her from the surface above. All she wants to do right now is sleep and escape from this smoldering pain.

She shouldn't even be conscious right now after using her most powerful attack. She has never fought to stay conscious after using it, knowing her body needs to shut down to cool off. Now, she's in a fiery daze. She tries to push herself off of Shoto with her quivering limbs, but she's just too depleted.

"Aihara?" Shoto sits up quickly, and her eyelids instantly clamp together in pain. "Are you okay?"

Slowly, Hotaru turns her head away from his abdomen to look up at him. Her eyelids gradually raise to reveal her glossed over silver orbs, and Shoto can only recall looking into them so closely long ago. He takes notice of how her long eyelashes bear a subtle and natural curl, and how they complement the color of her eyes so exquisitely.

Her fair complexion is shades lighter than normal, covered in bruises and scratches. There is red staining her hair and parts of her attire, a more than enough clear sign that she's definitely not fine. After enduring that attack, and whatever else she faced after their separation, there's no way she can be. He's merely hoping it's not as bad as it looks.

Not being able to manage a word, Hotaru only weakly shakes her head. She's in so much pain she wants to cry, but she fights against that. Right now, Shoto is the last person on this planet who deserves her tears. She doesn't want to give them to him.

Worry is what Shoto feels and it even shows on his features. Such a display makes Hotaru want to scowl, roll her eyes, smack him even. Why would he feel worry? He's such a fool. Does he not realize that everything he's ever said since their reunion has inflicted just as much pain as she feels now, only mentally? She's had enough. She didn't want to him to finally show he genuinely cares at a moment like this.

"What's wrong?" He questions, a crease forming in his brow to match his eyes full of affliction. "Tell me what to do to help."

It's hard to breathe, she's aching all over, and her body is already starting to shut down. He can't help her with any of these factors. Even if he could, _she doesn't want his help_. It's hopeless.

She looks away from him and through the trees, barely making out the blurry Nomu bombarding Aizawa once again. She couldn't save him. Her father was right. Just how pathetic is she? _Help…_

 _She doesn't want it. She doesn't need it. She doesn't deserve it._

She's finally arrived at the end of the road, and sure enough what awaited her at the end is already making quick work of her. For once, she doesn't even care about this fate. It's too close and inevitable, and it suddenly feels like she longed for the end this entire time. She's tired of fighting for no reason. Her pain will go away now, right? Nobody would be losing anything. All of her worries, all of her mistakes, surely everything will fade away.

Everything starts to morph dark, and all sounds are starting to blur together, even Shoto's voice. All of her aches are suddenly numbed, and her overheated body suddenly feels cold. It feels nice. _So nice._ However, she can't feel this peace for long, because suddenly;

 _She's gone._

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Relinquish

❤•○●○•❤

"What do you mean Hotaru's gone? What happened to her?!" Daichi exclaims. "You were supposed to save her!"

"I sincerely apologize." Nezu looks to the ground wistfully, his paws pressed together. "We were outsmarted. We're doing everything we can."

• Elsewhere •

"Endeavor, you were believed to have ended Lightning Beast. What are your thoughts of him having been alive this whole time, and his daughter being enrolled at U.A. alongside your son?" A reporter questions the number two hero.

Endeavor's fingers curl into tight fists, his flames growing more intense.

"Tsk."

• Somewhere •

Overlapping waves, dark clouds and sun-rays. A cooling breeze and the smell of salt. Quiet and peaceful, lonesome and desired. The crunching of sand makes her silver eyes open and look over her shoulder.

A child with a horn stands there, holding her koi key-chain.


	17. Relinquish

**AugustRrush** : Thank you ~ ❤ ! i hope you enjoy this chapter too!

 **Oblivious IJ** : F ! ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ

 **kirika o7** : ehehe ~ Thank you sooo much ! I'm going nuts too ! hope you enjoy this one! ❤ (＾▽＾)

 **ILikeFoxes828** : I really am such an awful person, aren't I? ahaha ~ ok ok ! This chapter, no cliffhanger! Well, at least I don't think it's a cliffhanger... or is it...? (・・;)ゞ aha, thank you so much ❤ !

 **Yuudie:** Thank you so so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter ❤ (⁀ᗢ⁀)

 **PotatoFaye:** haha omg, thank you ! I got chills writing it, no lie ! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ i hope you enjoy this chapter, too! ❤

 **bbymojo** : thank you so much! ❤ Taru really does have it rough, huh? i really hope you enjoy this chapter! (^人^)

 **Rynxenvy:** I know ! o(TヘTo) Shoto should really soften up soon ! Taru needs a breaaakk ! ｡･ﾟﾟ*(oдo)*ﾟﾟ･｡ , please enjoy this chapter ❤

 **lovelyhatter:** thank you so very much! ❤ ( ´ ▽ ` )

 **Sakiruka:** aahh, thank you so much ~ I'm so sad for Hotaru too, but bad times always pass, right? ❤ fighting ! 감사함니다 ! \\(^ヮ^)/

 **Ali Daisy:** thank you so so much ❤ i truly enjoyed reading your thoughts for each chapter and your words really do mean so much! I am deeply appreciative and so very happy. I hope I can continue to put out quality writing that you will enjoy. (⌒‿⌒) ❤ thank you so much for reading !

•○●○•

 _ **I have one more final to go and I'm soo exhausted, aha. But, I'm pushing through!**_

 _ **I hope everyone's finals are going well if you're in school, and if not I hope whatever you're doing is going well!**_ ❤

 ** _I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and I'm sorry for any errors you most likely will come across._** (*_ _)人

 _ **Thank you for reading!**_

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Relinquish

❤•○●○•❤

Arms holding her close, a rhythmic thumping sound, a glimpse of red and white, faded voices and an intense battle. Was this all a dream or events of reality? These things are far too hazy for her to tell, but even so they weigh heavily.

Her eyelids slowly raise and an unfamiliar tiled ceiling greets her. Even though the room is dark, the pure white ceiling above her makes her squint. There's a beeping sound to her right that's radiating a light and she looks over. A heart monitor with a dripping IV next to it. She's in a hospital. She's alive.

She reaches upwards, seeing a needle stuck in her arm and presumably pumping in some sort of medication. Is it medication for pain? She doesn't feel any pain just like she doesn't feel any emotion. What should she be feeling right now? Happiness and sadness, those emotions are currently a mystery to her.

Slowly, she sits up. She instantly takes note of how drained she feels. Even though there are bandages wrapped around her hands and across her forehead, and even a cast on her right foot, nothing hurts. Has she lost all feeling, or has Recovery Girl healed her? What happened?

•

" _I got her."_

•

Her hand moves towards her head, getting lost in her hair. That was Shoto's voice. Her silver orbs are wide and trembling as things come back to her little by little. _That's right._ It wasn't a dream. Shoto was the one who carried her out of there with a touch so firm but gentle. After that violent fight… _wait_. Who fought?

•

" _I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, Young Aihara."_

•

That fight was between All Might and Nomu. He saved everyone. He came nearly instantly after she fell into an unconscious state. No, she wasn't unconscious, but she should've been. She was trapped in a trance, aware but unaware. Why couldn't her body restore its temperature?

•

" _It's a good thing you used your ice to cool her down, dear. Her fractured ribs and punctured lung, her broken ankle and dangerously high body temperature… due to these severe injuries her body wasn't able to shut down properly. You saved her life."_

•

Instantly, her hands fall into her lap. She stares blankly ahead with parted lips. So, the only reason she's still drawing breath is because of Shoto? That alleviating coldness she felt, that was him? He saved her again and she wishes he hadn't. Why would he keep her safe?

Her knuckles turn white when she curls her fingers into the hospital gown she's dressed in. Her lips are now pressed together, and she bites down harshly on the inside of her cheek. _Why?_ What's he thinking?

The heart monitor by her bedside becomes more rambunctious, and she draws in a breath to calm herself down. The answer doesn't really matter. Nothing does. Her dream and her plan, nothing turned out how she wanted it to. Her parents are out there somewhere. She doesn't know what to do now. As a result, she's discarding everything.

There's no point to anything. Nothing she does is ever enough. Everything she does and her entire existence is nothing but a disappointment. Becoming a hero, claiming her revenge, Shoto… _what a joke_.

Blood trickles down her fingertips when she pulls the IV out of her forearm, and the heart monitor stops. She throws her legs over the edge of her bed and stands. Her left foot is silent against the icy floor, while her bandaged right foot creates an aggravating thump for each taken step.

Once she's in front of the window, she moves the curtains aside. A clear night cityscape reveals itself and a full moon. Being on a higher floor level, the view is more than decent. However, instead of staring at the scenery she briefly stares at her mended reflection, then studying the actual window itself. It doesn't open. She presses her hand against it.

The room is illuminated blue and the glass shatters. The loud sound and bright flash is prominent enough to catch the attention of the hospital workers just outside of her room. Footsteps rapidly approach and Hotaru lets out a heavy breath. The door to her room opens.

Glass from the broken window is spread across the floor, glistening beneath the moonlight. Scorched bandages and a disintegrated cast lay on the ground. The curtains whip wildly from the windy night, _and that's it._

 _There's no sign of Hotaru._

•○●○•

He was only just released from the hospital, yet despite that he's moving swiftly. His feet carry him quickly down the hallway and towards a familiar door. With a locked jaw and distressed yellow-gold eyes, he slams the door open.

Nezu looks up from the papers on his desk and at Daichi. The man has sweat trickling down his face from all the energy he used to get here so quickly. Nezu's eyes shut, knowing he must've heard about the villain attack and the dangerous villain advisory that has been broadcasting non-stop. In fact, it's on the television right now.

"This is a follow-up report on yesterday's incident at the U.A. rescue training facility where hero course students were attacked by villains." A woman reporter speaks. "According to police investigation, the criminals call themselves 'The League of Villains,' and have been plotting to kill All Might, who has been a teacher at U.A. since spring this year. Police have arrested 72 villains, but they still don't know the whereabouts of their ringleader."

The photograph of the Unforeseen Simulation Joint that was displayed behind the reported is replaced with a different photograph. _A photograph of Lightning Beast and Two Face._

"Not only that, one of the villains among the attack was Lightning Beast himself, who was proclaimed the have been annihilated by Endeavor years ago. Two Face, who was supposed to have withdrawn from her villain ways was also involved in the attack." The reporter continues. "They have escaped arrest presumably alongside the ringleader."

The pictures of the two villains fade and are instantly replaced with another. Hotaru's picture appears for the world to see—a photo the press snapped of her when they bombarded the front gates of U.A. for forced interviews. She's looks nothing more than a villain. It's a deceptive display, but only those who are truly aware of Hotaru's situation know that.

"Onto some breaking news; Lightning Beast has a daughter who was temporarily enrolled at U.A. High School and is believed to be responsible for the attack as well. She was sent to an undisclosed hospital for treatment, and was reported missing early this morning and is currently at large and dangerous. If you see any of these villains, do not approach and call the police—"

"Hotaru's really here, right?" Daichi's voice speaks up and overpowers the television audio. "She's not really missing, right?"

Nezu looks away from the screen and at Daichi standing before his desk. His posture is straight and stiff, and his fingers are curled into tight fists. Remorse fills Nezu, Daichi's afflicted expression getting to him, especially after their agreement. After all, Daichi was the one who told him about Hotaru's life and how she really was a sweet girl despite everything, which led him to accept her as a student at U.A.

"I'm sorry." Nezu says, and Daichi's eyes harden. "We don't know where she is."

"What do you mean she's gone? What happened to her?!" He exclaims and his hands slam onto the desk, creating a loud sound. "You were supposed to save her!"

"I sincerely apologize." Nezu looks to the ground wistfully, his paws pressing together. "We were outsmarted. We're doing everything we can."

Daichi sucks in a breath and his muscles loosen. His racing heart starts to slow, and his fingers uncurl and hang limply. His eyelids drape over his eyes and he remains silent for a short moment.

He shouldn't be getting worked up like this. It isn't helping the situation, and he's fully aware that this prodigious school wouldn't sit by and do nothing when someone is in trouble, especially one of their students.

"No, I apologize. I shouldn't have snapped." Daichi eyes open and stare at the principal. "Hotaru has always been like a younger sister to me. I watched her grow up and so it pains me that she's gone. Either way, we need to find her quickly."

"I agree." Nezu hops out of his chair, walking around the wooden desk. "The media has labeled her as a dangerous villain despite us claiming she wasn't. She betrayed her parents during the attack. She has both heroes and villains after her. We need to find her before something bad happens."

"Right." Daichi asks, watching as Nezu walks towards the large window. "Is the staff here searching for her?"

"Yes. I am also working on contacting as many Pro Heroes as I can to tell them the true situation. I just hope that if Aihara is found by someone other than the few of us that know the truth, that she doesn't display any hostility and yields to them. If she is to fight confinement that will make the situation far worse. If she wants to be saved," Nezu looks over at Daichi seriously. "She'll need to relinquish everything."

The air in the room is so thick it feels as if Daichi is underwater. His eyes are hard and his hands form tight fists once more. Hotaru allow herself to be arrested if someone other than them happens to get to her first? Hotaru… _relinquish everything?_ He can't see someone as stubborn as her doing such a thing. This situation is getting even worse for every second that goes by.

"I'm going to start searching for her myself." Daichi says, turning and heading towards the door restlessly. "If you find anything out, please let me know. I'll do the same."

"Of course." Nezu nods just as Daichi takes his leave.

Once Daichi exits the room and continues down the hall, he pulls out his walkie-talkie to inform his officer co-workers of the situation. Just as he finishes talking into it and rounding the corner, he comes to a sudden stop at the teenager before him. His golden eyes widen.

"No way…" Daichi begins, smiling at the familiar face despite the situation. "Shoto?"

Shoto's eyes are just as wide as Daichi's. If he's being honest, he didn't think he would ever see this man again—the park ranger who always happily answered any aquatic question him and Hotaru had. What is he doing here of all places?

"Daichi." Shoto greets almost monotonously, and the organ in Daichi's chest feels much heavier all of a sudden.

It seems Hotaru isn't the only one that has changed. Shoto is different as well. Just like Hotaru, his expression is colder, his voice is more impassive, and his eyes are more obscure. His lips downturn. After all this time, he never learned what happened to them. What did they endure that brought about such a change? However, such questions can wait.

"You haven't seen Hotaru recently, have you?" Daichi questions.

Shoto looks away from him, his expression unreadable. His hands move into his pockets and he remains silent for a few seconds. Daichi begins to frown.

"She should be in the hospital."

"Yeah, that's where she should be…" Daichi murmurs.

His weakened voice and sad expression makes Shoto's eyes widen a notch. Is she no longer in the hospital? The possibility of her being discharged so soon is impossible. Clearly, something is wrong and he doesn't know a thing about it. That bothers him incredibly.

"What do you mean?" Shoto questions, his jaw growing tight. "Did something happen?"

"I don't know the exact details myself, but nobody knows where she is." The older man answers. "I'm surprised you didn't know. It's all over the news. But, if you see her or have an idea of where she might be, please let me or the school know."

Daichi hurriedly walks past Shoto who seems to be in a profound daze. His heterochromia eyes stare down the empty hall, many troubling thoughts running through his mind. Hotaru is missing and this fact is all over the news?

Normally, Shoto would spare some of his time to watch the news to keep himself updated on heroes and occurrences in the area, but he skipped watching the news this morning. In fact, he skipped breakfast too. Since yesterday, he hasn't had an appetite.

All he can do is think about how Hotaru saved him from her own father. She acted as if she was a hero. Her, _a villain_ , saved him so willingly. His fingers curl into tight fists. Why would she save him? What is she thinking? He doesn't know.

One moment she's taunting him with a nefarious smirk, tugging sensitive strings in his chest purposely and radiating a villainous aura. However, she started showing another side to her as the days went by. Or, maybe that side of her has always been there. It just took him this long to see it.

At times her silver eyes appeared despondent, and the few times she smiled it was wistful. Sometimes it seemed like she was on the verge of tears. During their combat training she was hesitant to attack, and out-loud she admitted she was clueless. She apologized to him multiple times and he ignored those apologies.

She told him that all she's been trying to do is protect him. She claimed she hated her father. Her words didn't match up with her actions, so he labeled her as dumb. He truly thought she was just attempting to play mind games with him until the attack. The livid yell of Lightning Beast fills his head, followed by Two Face's snarl.

•

" _This whole time you were protecting him?! Taru!"_

•

" _I should've killed you when I had the chance, you rat!"_

•

Long ago, he used to think their home situations were similar until she personally diminished that thought by claiming her parents were nice. However, it turns out he was right all along. They are far more similar than he originally thought—the only difference is the severity of their abuse.

He finds himself remembering the nasty bruise that was on her face, and recalling her spoken words when he questioned it. Just how much did she endure for his sake? Is it safe to say she had it worse off? Perhaps that's an overstatement. He can't speak on it. He doesn't understand her or know of any of her trails, her goals, nor her inspirations. He never attempted to perceive them. Although, _there is one thing he knows_.

His feet start carrying him down the hall once more. Something weighs heavily in his chest, and he knows what it is. He just never thought it would be so burdensome. _This is remorse._ His hand raises and covers the left side of his face, and he lets out a heavy breath while his eyes shut.

This entire time, Hotaru was protecting him while putting herself in danger. This entire time, her countless apologies to him were genuine. This entire time, she's been throwing him many signs. He knows now that this entire time;

 _He was the dumb one_.

•○●○•

"Endeavor, you were believed to have ended Lightning Beast. What are your thoughts of him having been alive this whole time, and his daughter being enrolled at U.A. alongside your son?" A reporter questions the number two hero.

Endeavor's fingers curl into tight fists, his flames growing more intense. Ever since yesterday he's been bombarded with questions like this. The press has been swarming outside of his agency, adding to his already flared temper.

The praise he once received for ending that wicked villain all those years ago is now worthless. Now everyone is questioning and doubting him, wondering if he possibly let Lightning Beast live. That's not the case.

He remembers striking him down clearly. He remembers the horrified expression and tears running down his daughter's face as his flames engulfed him. _Lightning Beast's daughter._ She's given him the slip many times. Way back then and recently. But, to think she was at U.A. this entire time and he didn't even know, _and that Shoto didn't even bother to inform him of this._

"Tsk." Endeavor turns, striding away from the press and into the city, leaving them in an uproar.

Does Shoto still desire to be her friend even now? Does he still worry about her well-being? Why else would he keep this a secret from him? He knew all too well about that girl being one of his targets.

As much as he wants to go home and question his son, he'll wait. Right now, he has villains to hunt down. This time he'll make sure to end Lightning Beast's savagery, and this time, his daughter won't slip away from him again. He'll redeem himself.

His phone lets out a ring and he holds it up to his ear. One of his agency workers speaks to him, and his lips curve upwards into a smirk. His eyes narrow in determination. Fortunately...

 _There's been a report of a silver-eyed teenage girl nearby._

•○●○•

Overlapping waves, dark clouds and sun-rays. A cooling breeze and the smell of salt. Quiet and peaceful, lonesome and desired. Hotaru stands alone on this empty beach, her footprints stretched out across the sand behind her.

It's been nearly a day since she left that hospital, and since then she's been staying on the low. The world sees her as a villain. Her face is all over the news. Something like this shouldn't be so unforeseen, but it hits her so hard like she never considered this happening.

She's the daughter of Lightning Beast. She's the daughter of Two Face. For most of her life she's performed in villainous acts by their side. Despite their manipulative teachings, it doesn't change the very fact that she once wanted to be a villain. It doesn't change or erase the things she's done. Of course something like this would happen. It was inevitable.

There's a storm brewing in the distance and she stares at it. However, there's one thing she never considered happening. She only thought she would be the enemy of one world, not two. Both the hero and villain world are after her, and she's merely drifting in between.

She can't enter either world. She's not wanted in them. She's not suited for either. What a mess. _What a complete mess._ She just wants to disappear. Everything she's done, good and bad, it doesn't even matter. She can't escape this. Her father has won in the worst possible way. He was right.

By simply being her father, she'll forever be viewed as a villain. Her hands are bloodied like his and soiled with countless sins. She can't be a hero, and her poor attempt at trying has led to this outcome. He was right, _and she was wrong._ She should've never went against him. Now, she has lost everything.

When did her mind become so corrupt? Why did she even consider being a hero? Who made her want to become one? _Shoto._ He changed her. He ruined her. He ruined everything. She wishes so badly that they never met. But, like always, her wish is meaningless.

Whether she's wishing on a star or the candles of her birthday cake, nothing comes from it. Nothing ever changes. Her life still always remains full of heartache and regret, anger and fear, and she's now sure it'll forever stay that way.

Her hands that are stuffed into the pockets of her sweatpants form fists, and as a result her fingers bump against something cold and metallic. She grabs onto it and pulls it out of her pocket, holding it in front of her. It's her koi keychain.

Shoto gave this to her long ago. She's kept it ever since. She's tried to get rid of it so many times because of the many overwhelming emotions it stirred up in her, but she couldn't. However, now things are different.

His hateful eyes flash before her and his piercing words cut right through her. How he laid her down on a blanket of ice, how he carried her to safety, how he saved her life, _everything_. His words and actions are contradicting, _and she hates him for it._

She hates him for making her go down this road. She hates him for approaching her on that day she was feeding the park fish in solitude. She hates him for making her feel happy. She hates him for making her feel hurt. She hates him. She hates him. _She hates him_.

"Disappear…!" She bites out, bringing her arm back and swinging it as hard as she can.

The old scratched up keychain slips from her fingers, sailing through the air. The red and white coloring of it contrasts against the evening sky along with the dark storm clouds over the horizon. It disappears into the deep ocean, _disappears from her life_.

She drops onto her knees, breathing heavily and biting down hard enough on the inside of her cheek to draw blood. Her trembling fingers curl into the sand, tiny grains getting trapped beneath her nails. Tears fill her eyes and she refuses to let them fall. She won't cry, especially because of him. She won't give him her tears.

A salty breeze ruffles up her hair as golden hour approaches. The sound of the ocean waves grow more apparent as the tide slowly grows closer to her. The refreshingly cool salt water brushes against her fingertips and her eyelids lower as if she can get lost in the enormous mass just like that. She just wants to be put out of her misery.

The crunching of sand makes her silver eyes open and look over her shoulder. A child with a horn stands there, holding her koi key-chain. Hotaru's eyes widen a notch. Did the ocean already wash that back to shore? Evidently it did. After all, droplets of water are now adorning it. The child hesitantly holds it out to her.

Hotaru stares at the glistening chain and sits up on her knees. For her to hold it out to her must mean she witnessed her discarding it. Wordlessly, she looks away from it and turns her attention to the ocean ahead. The child still hovers behind her and irritation starts to pique within her. What is this kid even doing here?

"Keep it or give it to someone else." Hotaru says in monotone. "I didn't throw it away on accident."

"U-Um… thank you." The child whispers, holding onto the keychain tightly.

Hotaru raises a brow at the child's forced voice. It sounded choked and pessimistic. That prompts Hotaru to look at the young girl once more, and her lips part at the tears streaming down her face. She blinks a few times, perplexed.

"Why are you crying?" Hotaru mutters, slightly narrowing her eyes. She doesn't feel like dealing with a snobby kid. She came to this beach to be alone, not to babysit.

"I never got a gift before." The child snivels.

At that, it feels as if Hotaru's heart has dropped into the pit of her stomach. Because that keychain that child holds was the first gift Hotaru has ever received, and she finds herself remembering the happiness she felt upon receiving it. Yet, she didn't react as severely as this child is.

Crossing her legs, Hotaru faces the girl. She glances at the horn on her head, then stares at her long off-white hair. Her tearful eyes are a bright red. She's barefoot and wearing a nightgown. With a sigh, Hotaru leans back on the heels of her hands.

"Is that it?" She inquiries. "I don't think it's anything to cry over."

"I-I… did something bad too." The child says, quivering as she rubs at her eyes.

"Oh?" Hotaru tilts her head slightly. "Welcome to the club."

Surprise crosses the child's feature at Hotaru's response. She stares into her silver eyes that she finds rather unique. This person has done something bad too? Then, would she know what she should do now?

"I don't know what to do." She says, and Hotaru shrugs, answering.

"Me either."

"Can you help me?"

Hotaru's eyes shut at that, and she lets out a heavy breath. The young girl grows tense when her eyes reopen, now dark instead of bright. Lightning flashes in the distance, and that's when she feels like she's seen eyes like this somewhere before.

"I'm not a hero." Hotaru murmurs lowly with a bitter tone. "In fact, I'm not a good person at all. You should ask someone else for help if you really need it."

"But, I can't ask anyone else."

It's now clear to Hotaru that this child will not leave her alone. She rubs at her scalp in frustration, making her wavy hair even more of a mess. She's very annoyed right now. Her hand falls into her lap and she gazes at the girl harshly. The child just stares at her innocently.

"Fine." She sighs. "You said you did something bad, right? Just apologize."

"Is that all I have to do to make things better?" The child questions, on the verge of tears once again. "Even if I made someone disappear?"

Why this child is seeking help and advice from her of all people is very questionable. However, Hotaru's eyes widen a notch at her words. She made someone disappear? When she says that, does she mean she made them run away? Kill them?

Hotaru looks out towards the ocean. She feels as if she can relate to this child in many ways if that's the case. In a way, she's reminded of her younger self. So, she acts as if she's speaking to her past self.

"Sometimes an apology can't come close to fixing your wrongdoings. Sometimes your sins will stick with you forever and you can't do anything to suppress them. That's just how life is. You'll have to endure many things. But, I think as long as you learn from your experiences and grow from them, that's more than enough. It may take a while, but it's possible."

Hotaru looks back at the child to see her cheeks are a shade darker in awe. Her wide eyes hold an intrigued sparkle. The grip she has on the koi keychain tightens, and Hotaru's lips tug upwards slightly.

"You know who you are. You know what you've done and want to do. You know what you deserve, too. So," A shadow falls over Hotaru's face, her upward curved lips quivering. "Don't give up. Don't live in anyone else's dream. Face everything head on. You're capable. Even if you end up failing in the end, at least you can say you've tried your best."

Hotaru raises her hand over her face, having not planned to give a speech. Her throat has grown tight along with her chest. What is she even saying? Why is she feeling even more frustrated than before?

"W-What I'm saying is, something is better than nothing. Even if it's just an apology, even if it's not enough, there's certainly no harm in saying one. So, yeah. Apologize. The sooner the better."

When Hotaru says "the sooner the better," she really means;

 _Go away_.

"Then I'll apologize." The child nods after carefully absorbing each word. "U-Um, please don't cry."

"I wasn't planning on it!" Hotaru snaps, looking up at the child with a glare and making her jump. "Just go away already. Maybe I don't look like it to you, but I'm a wanted and dangerous villain. Hurry up and leave before I lose any more of my composure. I have nothing more to say to you."

"But—"

"Leave. I won't say it again." Hotaru cuts her off.

Hotaru stares out at the ocean, watching as the sun sets over it. The child is still hovering behind her, making her fingers curl into fists. She's about to use her quirk to scare her away until all she can see is black. Her jaw goes somewhat slack.

The young girl has taken the initiative to hug her from behind. Due to Hotaru sitting on the ground and the child's height, her arms are wrapped around her head and covering her eyes. Hotaru's mind goes blank, wondering what kind of embrace this is supposed to be, and also finding this child quite bold for touching her.

"Thank you. I will take good care of this gift." The child says graciously. "Bye!"

The child runs off, and Hotaru remains deathly still. She remains this way for a few minutes while staring out at sea. The words she spoke to that child replay in her head, and she slowly stands up.

She was planning on disappearing for good tonight. She'll leave everything and everyone behind without looking back. However, she can't seem to do just that. There's something else she needs to do first.

"An apology… huh." She whispers to herself, walking down the shoreline.

She supposes saying one is the least she can do after all the trouble she has caused. There's never any harm in saying one, and sometimes not saying one at all can be more lethal than your mistake. So, after this stepping stone, she'll truly be gone. It took her a while, but now she knows for sure;

 _There's no place in either world for her._

•○●○•

It isn't until the next day when classes officially start once again at U.A. The villain attack has resulted in a day missed so students and staff can recover, and to ensure that the campus is safe once again.

The day goes by smoothly and as it normally would, aside from their homeroom teacher Aizawa not being here due to his injuries. Instead of doing something physical in the Foundational Hero Studies class as what normally would happen, a packet to complete is given instead.

Throughout the day Shoto finds himself glancing at Hotaru's empty desk every so often. Her absence makes the room feel strange. Normally she would be napping around this time or gazing out the window in a thoughtful manner. Or, if their eyes happened to meet, she would say something stupid and throw him a smirk. She was annoying, yet, her being gone doesn't feel right. It's like a large piece of a puzzle is missing.

He thought she would return today, but there is still no sign of her. There are some things he wants to say to her, things he _needs_ to say, but he's not sure how he wants to say those things. An apology and a thank you. It isn't something that he can just speak so easily.

He can forgive but he can't forget. He can be thankful but not appeased. He can apologize but it won't be enough. Is there even a point to saying things if they are so meager? How would she react?

The school day ends, and he spent most of it lost in thought. He packs up his things much like the rest of his classmates before heading out the door. The entire class moves in a group. After the villain attack, it seems they have all grown closer to one another even if it's just a tiny bit.

When Shoto steps out of the school building her squints against the bright sunlight. It's a cloudless day and the sky is a deep blue. As he walks down the stairs, he contemplates if he should take a different route home. It's a longer route, but it cuts right through the place he swore to never go to again. _Does she still visit there—?_

"Midoriya?" Iida's voice draws him out of his thoughts. He looks ahead, seeing Midoriya has come to an abrupt stop in his walk and is staring uneasily ahead. Shoto follows his gaze and freezes as well.

"I-Is that…?" Ashido stutters, shrinking back.

"Another villain?" Hagakure finishes, latching onto Ashido in fear.

Everyone grows tense and becomes on high alert at the figure blocking their path. A hood is over their head, and they are wearing all black. They are on campus, meaning they must've somehow bypassed the school's improved security system. Or, _is that perhaps...?_

Shoto studies them, taking note of their height and slender frame. They raise their head slightly and he sees silver. Slowly, they reach upwards and take their hood down. His pulse thuds loudly in his ears.

Dark and wavy hair comes tumbling out, and her silver orbs stare at each and every one of them. Her expression is empty and her eyes are hard to read. She looks his way, a crease forming in her brow instantly and she quickly looks away.

"Taru-chan!" Kaminari's face lights up along with Mineta's. The two of them start to run over to her. "You're okay—!"

"Don't come any closer."

Hotaru's spine-chilling tone makes them stop in their tracks. Mineta shivers in fright at her now glowing eyes and Kaminari stares in disbelief. Somehow, she looks like more of a villain than ever before.

Her eyelids lower briefly, and her lips part as she draws in a breath. Shoto watches as she brings her hand over her chest and lowers her head. She bows lowly, her hair falling over her face. The sun high above highlights her form.

"I would like to apologize for all the trouble I've caused. My presence has caused so much fear among you all, and you came face to face with the most deadly villains because of me. Some of you even got hurt. I know apologizing is hardly enough, but even so, I'm saying one regardless."

She straightens up, her hand falling away from her chest and hanging limply at her side. Remorse shines in her glossy eyes and her jaw grows tight as if she's in pain. She avoids their gaze by staring at the ground.

"I'm sorry. But, starting now you don't need to worry." She says, and Mineta reaches out with a trembling arm, pale.

"W-What are you saying, Taru-chan?" He questions, and she looks at him.

"I'm leaving." She answers, turning so her back is to them.

"Hey… hold on." Kirishima starts up. "You don't have to leave."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"You want to be a hero, don't you?!" Midoriya blurts out, stepping forward boldly.

Hotaru's shoulders quiver and she hunches forward slightly. Her hand moves over her mouth as she lets out a bitter laugh. Straightening up, she brushes her hair back while shaking her head. When she looks over her shoulder, the villainous glare she has makes nearly everyone recoil.

"I'm really sick of delusional people. Me, a hero? Stop fantasizing. Try telling me that again when you don't have that look of fear on your face. I'm leaving. Don't follow me. If you do, I'll kill you."

Looking away from a trembling Midoriya, Hotaru starts walking to take her leave. Shoto's fingers curl into fists as he starts to become angered by her. He opens his mouth and begins to follow her until Kaminari runs past him.

"Taru-chan you don't really mean that—!" He expresses, grabbing onto her shoulder. The moment he touches her lightning flows into his body and he's suddenly giving two thumbs up. His short-circuited brain only allows him to say, "uhh… ye~"

"Hey!" Jiro yells, glaring daggers at Hotaru for her actions.

"What?" Hotaru murmurs, still walking away. "It's his own fault for not taking me seriously. He's fortunate he has an electrical resistance. If he didn't have one, you'd probably have to call an ambulance."

"Everyone, just let her go!" Iida exclaims, moving his arms around robotically. Koda nods fearfully in agreement. "She has chosen to be a villain!"

"But…" Yaoyorozu whispers, her hands over her chest.

She hasn't chosen to be a villain. _The nefarious force behind her words and her actions…_ Shoto's eyes narrow. Right now, she's chosen to act stupid. Just like back then. If he somehow was sent back in time to that night everything fell apart between them, this is what he would say.

"This isn't you, Aihara."

Hotaru stops in her tracks at Shoto's voice, her eyes growing wide. A tremble forms in her appendages. She doesn't dare turn around and face him. If she does, she's sure to lose it.

"Tell me, Todoroki. What makes you say something so bold? You are the last person in this world who truly knows me." She says icily.

"I know you better than anyone else here." He states, and a chord within her is brutally struck.

Oh, he's really pissing her off now. Claiming he knows her so well when he's been blind this entire time makes her want to go on a rampage. Just who does he think he is? He's just a pretentious, stupid, and ignorant idiot.

"Shut up." She whispers thickly, taking a single step forward only to stop when he speaks again.

"Why you're leaving right now and acting like a villain to prevent us from following, it's to protect us, right?" He inquires. "That's quite heroic."

She turns around in a flash, her teeth bared and eyes glaring so intensely. Her hands have form into fists and blue sparks dance around them. How could he of all people… _read her so easily?_ Shoto merely stares back at her straight-faced.

"Shut up! Damn it…!" She yells. "Hero this, hero that. I'm anything but a hero! You of all people should know that, especially since you know me 'so' well! I can't be a hero. I'm not a hero! I've hurt people. I-I've… I've killed people! I'm not leaving to be a hero to anyone. I'm doing this because it's the only thing I can do. There's no place for me here, just like there's no place for me elsewhere… all because of you…!"

Shoto's eyes widen at the thick tears gathered at the outer corners of her eyes. Her lower lip is trembling and she's no longer glaring, yet he finds himself preferring that glare over her heartbroken expression. She raises her hand, pointing a single finger at him. Her next words burrow deeply into his chest.

"I wanted to be a villain. I wanted nothing more, but then you came along. You became my friend, and because of that I experienced happiness. You saved me back then and I wanted to save you, too. I couldn't do that so easily. It took time before I realized what was right and what was wrong. But, I learned. I struggled for so long. I played the role of the villain for years and betrayed my parents, stalled their plans for as long as I could so they couldn't get to you."

Her hand lowers and she wraps her arms around her trembling form, drawing in a deep breath, her throat tight and struggling to get the rest of her words out. By some miracle, she pushes through.

"It didn't go as I planned. Now I'm standing here in front of a completely different you, and I'm equally different too. I blame you for everything. I fought to save your life and now I'm about to lose mine. Because of you I lost everything. I have no home now. My parents want me dead. There's a huge price over my head and villains and heroes are trying to claim it. Are you happy, Sho? I really hope you are. I can't be a hero or villain now. I can't be anything because of you, and I'll _forever_ resent you."

"T-That's not true, Aihara-san!" Midoriya suddenly drops his bag onto the floor, digging through it. Hotaru turns to him with darkened eyes, watching as he pulls out some beat up notebook titled "Hero Analysis for the Future."

"This doesn't involve you. You don't know anything, so—!"

"That's not true!" He cuts her off again with the same words, and her features twist in deep frustration.

Midoriya straightens up, flipping through his notebook in a hurry. He feels like he can understand her and her motives now, especially after the villain attack. He witnessed her save Todoroki and unleash everything to try and save Aizawa. She acted as a hero bravely many times despite the fear that was buried within her. That fear is present even now.

Perhaps this entire time she didn't intend to be a hero, and perhaps she didn't intend to be a villain either. Yet somehow she's a perfect mixture of both. But, that's not his biggest discovery.

He remembers talking to All Might about Aihara before. He was curious as to why she was here. All Might couldn't tell him why due to her secrecy and contradicting actions and words. However, he most definitely figured things out after her encounter with her parents. This entire time she was scared and needed help. He wants to help her.

His green eyes meet her tearful silver ones, and he holds up his notebook for her to see. Hotaru takes in a sharp intake of breath and grows stiff all over. It's like all her defenses have suddenly shattered away.

"You're already a hero, Aihara-san! But, most importantly, you don't have to be scared anymore." Midoriya says, slowly smiling towards the end. "You're safe here!"

Hotaru continues to stare at the sketch of herself drawn neatly in Midoriya's notebook. It's her dressed in her hero costume, with detailed notes alongside about her quirk and various techniques. He has drawn her in his hero notebook? He sees her... _as a hero?_

She wishes he didn't show her that. She wishes he didn't say what he did. The tears she so desperately didn't want to give away now have no choice but to depart. They stream down her face and leave behind glistening trails, _in front of her entire class…_

In a panic she turns away so her back is to them, her cheeks growing darker in utmost humiliation. She raises her hands to wipe her tears only for more to fall. It's futile trying to hide them and even more of a lost cause to get them to stop. How disappointing. She ducks her head.

"Dang it… Midoriya…" She speaks, voice weak yet having a hint of something angelic. "I hate people like you..."

Midoriya grows rigid at that. Lowering her hands, she looks back at him. The sunlight hitting her face makes her falling tears apparent, but her simple sad smile stands out the most. Her hair ruffles in the breeze, the sun casting highlights. Her glassy eyes gleam hopelessly.

"...I never know how to react." She whispers, voice cracking. Midoriya grins with sparkling eyes. "I always just end up embarrassing myself. Thank you, but my mind is made up. You may see me as a hero, but that's the one thing I absolutely cannot be. There's no way I could after everything I've done."

"It'll definitely be a challenge." Asui speculates, finger grazing against her chin. "Maybe even impossible."

"You don't sparkle as brightly as me—" Aoyama is cut off by Sero.

"You have what it takes, though! Especially after taking on your own parents. Although it's true you have a bit of a villain side…" He trails off towards the end in thought.

"I think you can do it, Aihara-san!" Uraraka chirps with a wide smile.

"Yeah!" Kirishima grins, walking over and holding up his fist. "Give yourself some more credit. I don't know what kind of crimes you committed, but I do know of all the good things you've done!"

"What matters is what you do from here on out." Yaoyorozu smiles.

"Damn it!" Bakugo roars with a popping vein, his patience long gone. "Hurry up and choose and get out of the damn way before I kill you!"

Hotaru stares at them all with tears still streaming down her face. Her lower lip is trembling as she frowns at them all. The organ in her chest grows soothingly warm. It's so tempting to stay. She really wants to.

To become a hero was one of her biggest dreams ever. But, she just can't. She knows that if she stays she'll be putting them all in danger again. They are making things harder than they need to be. She's crumbling.

"I hate all of you." She whimpers, preparing to walk away. "T-Thank you so much. I'm really grateful. I want to stay, but I just can't. I-I'll just be an aquarist instead."

"An aquarist? What a waste." Kirishima laughs, his hand coming down onto her shoulder and preventing her from leaving. Not only that, a short-circuited Kaminari blocks her path. Something latches onto her leg and she looks down to see Mineta hugging her closely, evidently enjoying touching her.

"I won't let you leave, Taru-chan, my sexy anti-hero…" He utters creepily.

"Is that what you _really_ want?" Hagakure skips over, jumping up and down.

"You have the right to choose who you want to be like the rest of us!" Ashido exclaims.

"Aihara-san," Midoriya clenches his fists with a grin. "Let's all be heroes together!"

Hotaru's shoulders quiver, not understanding why they are saying such things to her. After everything, after all the trouble she's caused, they are encouraging her. She doesn't understand how people like them can exist. It's almost as if they want her to stay. That can't be right. Yet, their words have broken through to her.

Being a villain was her first dream. Being an aquarist was her second. However, her third and biggest dream was to become a hero. It's like a new path has opened up in front of her. She's uncertain of where it will lead to, but her classmates and teachers are alongside it. It's only because of them she can take this first step.

She didn't plan on this. All she wanted to do was apologize and leave for good. She didn't expect them to grab onto her and pull her into this world of light. She's no longer drifting and finally anchored.

"I-I want to be a hero." She chokes out, bringing her hand over her lips to muffle a pathetic sob. Her eyes squeeze shut and more tears fall. "I always wanted to be a hero…!"

Then, she breaks down completely. She's so embarrassed to be this emotional. However, she guesses she doesn't mind giving her tears to them. These tears are happy tears. She's not sad at all. She finds herself smiling when everyone gradually crowds around her for a group hug. It feels as if she's finally home.

Bakugo tries to stomp past them all until Kirishima grabs his arm and forces him to join in which results in him yelling. Jiro rolls her eyes and Koda trembles. Tokoyami lets out a sigh and Shoji shakes his head. Shoto stands in the far back, away from everyone with a shadow over his face.

 _He never really knew her at all._

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

The Distance Between Them

❤•○●○•❤

The distance between them has grown even deeper and now she's partially to blame. Yet, for once she doesn't mind this rift. Perhaps she desires it, or rather she just merely doesn't care anymore. She simply has no more feelings left towards him and she no longer sees the need to protect him. It's no surprise to her that this growing rift has become noticed.

"Say, Sensei," Hotaru begins, looking at Aizawa with a smile. She plops down in the chair next to his desk in the teachers' lounge. "Would you like to hear my story?"

"Your story?" He repeats blandly, and she nods.

"Yes. The story of Hotaru Aihara. From beginning til now." She folds her arms over the backrest and leans forward. "What do you say?"

"Yeah!" Present Mic exclaims from across the room, and Hotaru sweatdrops with a cat-like expression.


	18. The Distance Between Them

**Swiggs:** You made me bust out laughing... because I visualized that so vividly. ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡ wow, ahaha ~

 **Oblivious IJ:** ヽ(￣ω￣(。。 )ゝ

 **Lavi hime 4E 3** : They'll get together I swear ! ･ﾟ･(｡TωT｡)･ﾟ･ ❤ promise promise ahah. ~ come back to life. (╥﹏╥)

 **Guest:** lolol ~ ! I destroyed those finals, and i'm bringing the feels for youu ! ❤ please enjoy !

 **lovelyhatter:** aahh ❤ thank you so much, that makes me very happy ! next chapter for you !

 **Rynxenvy:** I'm glad too ❤ she's come a long way (¯▿¯)

 **bbymojo:** ❤❤❤ thank you so much, and you're very welcome ! i absolutely love writing for you and everyone else ! seeing how my work can provoke emotions is just so crazy and surreal aahh, but then again I'm totally feeling these emotions with you 100% (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) , i also have so much fun writing so it's great, ehe, i think you'll like this chapter!

•○●○•

 **Merry Christmas to all !**

 **I hope everyone enjoys this holiday ~ !**

 **This chapter turned out longer than I thought it would be, but I hope you can still enjoy it.**

 **I wanted to update today to give you all a present**

 **thank you for reading, and as always, i apologize for any errors.** 人(_ _*)

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

The Distance Between Them

❤•○●○•❤

"It's good to see that you are well and unharmed, Aihara-san." Nezu smiles from his spot on the couch in his office.

Hotaru, who has made herself at home with no qualms, is lying across the second couch across from his. She's lying on her back, eyes shut with a smile. The smell of the coffee Nezu provided for her invades her nostrils and she happily inhales. Sitting up, she grabs it off of the center table and takes a sip. Once she's finished, she sets it down and smiles at the principal.

"I didn't think my disappearance would cause so much worry, and I definitely didn't think everyone would welcome me back with open arms." She begins genuinely. "It… really feels good to be back."

"Of course." Nezu brings his paws together, his round eyes holding a happy glint. "This is where you belong. I hope you no longer feel uncertain about being here, and I hope from here on out you can focus on yourself and work towards your own goals."

Hotaru lets out a soft laugh, turning her head and looking towards the window beyond his desk. There are countless stars twinkling in the dark sky, and the moon shines bright. It's a perfectly clear night.

"Well, if I'm being honest, I still have some doubts about this whole hero thing. After being a villain for so long, becoming a true hero sounds absurd. Focusing on myself would also be a first." She admits. "I'm sure it won't be so simple. This might be the most difficult road yet. But, I'm excited." She looks back at him, giving a sheepish shrug. "I only hope you and everyone would bear with me."

"Becoming a hero is never easy." Nezu informs. "Remember, 'a true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes.' With everything you overcame thus far, I can confidently say you will become an exceptional hero."

At that, her silver eyes gradually widen. She remembers Present Mic saying that exact same quote on the day of the practical part of the entrance exam. She had completely forgotten about those words, and now she finds herself smiling as she remembers.

"Thank you, Principal Nezu." She dips her head in thanks.

Her lips curve upwards as she contemplates over something. Her becoming an 'exceptional hero' isn't a bad prediction. However, she thinks there's a more fitting title for someone like her. She won't say that out loud just yet, though.

"Onto more important things," She begins, crossing her legs and leaning forward. Her body noticeably grows tense and her eyes shine in worry. "Is Aizawa-san doing alright? He was hurt very badly, and I'm really worried."

"His injuries were quite severe, but his recovery is going smoothly." He answers, smiling when Hotaru lets out a relieved breath. "Although, he probably won't return to his teaching duties anytime soon."

It feels as if a heavy weight has been lifted off of her, and she slumps backwards against the soft cushions. What relieving news. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if things turned out worse. Yet, she's still admittedly having a hard time forgiving herself for letting things turn out the way they did.

"I see. That's good." She lowers her eyelids. "Aizawa-san is really amazing. I owe him a lot, actually."

The way she talks about her homeroom teacher makes it evident to Nezu that she cares about him a whole lot. How her voice grows softer, how she looks more relaxed, her praise, there are no signs more clearer. He can't help but to speak on it.

"You seem very fond of Aizawa-san." He says, and she nods, reopening her eyes.

"He helped me a whole lot. He even saved me. So, of course I am. I also appreciate his honesty. He never tells a lie or tries to make things seem better than they actually are. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't even be here right now..." She gradually trails off, gazing off to the side with darkening cheeks. She mutters. "...What of it?"

"I'm just happy to hear you trust your instructor."

"Hmph." Hotaru crosses her arms over her chest, now glaring at the principal with narrowed eyes.

His tone almost implies that something has went according to his plan. That reminds her of her earlier cautiousness around him. She's still curious as to why he allowed her to enroll into this school and what his plan even was. Surely he had some underlying reason.

"That reminds me," She points a single finger at him. "Why did you even allow me to become a student here? You don't seem like the type to accept a person like me so willingly. All you knew about me at the time was that I was a villain. What were you trying to achieve?"

"You are wrong, Aihara-san." Nezu shakes his head, making her meager glare falter. "I knew quite a bit about you even then."

Surprise crosses her features and she lowers her hand. How would he know about her? She understands him knowing her as a villain, but it's almost as if he knew more. That shouldn't be possible. Her life has been wrapped in secrecy. The most anyone knows about her is the fact she was a villain, and that fact shouldn't have led him to accept her as a student. Or, is he just insane?

"What did you know, and how?" She practically demands, and he answers.

"The day you sent in an application, I coincidentally met Daichi. He came here asking for us to help you, not knowing you had applied. I brought this to his knowledge. Since he knew you for quite some time and your true identity, I questioned if he knew your motives and if you intended to cause trouble. He didn't know your motives and I had every intention to deny you entry. However, he insisted that you had good within you."

Hotaru's eyes are wide as she stares at Nezu, and her lips are parted. She nearly has forgotten how to breathe, the shock of this information overwhelming. It's like time has slowed. She never would've guessed this. Her hand moves over her chest. She had no clue that Daichi came here to ask for help on her behalf.

"He informed me of your good deeds at the local park. How you feed the fish daily and pick up any trash, and chase off people who break the law. I considered allowing you entry then which made me go ahead and allow you to take the written test. When me met face to face, you didn't seem like a pure villain." Nezu smiles, his paws resting in his lap. "Then, during the practical exam when you rescued your fellow classmate, I knew he was right. You played the role of a hero perfectly and naturally. All I hoped to achieve was to save you and provide you with proper guidance."

To think that for the longest she was overly conscious of Nezu for no reason at all. Her thoughts of him somehow ruining her entire poorly put together plan were pointless. He had good intentions. She was merely suspecting false things—something she tends to do a lot. She did the exact same thing with Daichi.

Her lips downturn as she becomes dismal, her eyelids lowering slightly and just enough so her lashes brush against her cheeks. How could she have been so blind towards all these good things? Why did she ignore them? There are times when she seen worry on Daichi's face, but she didn't think much of it.

She runs her fingers through her hair rather slowly and not all the way through. For the longest she's been around negligent villains. Her parents hardly ever worried about her and always overlooked her voiced concerns.

Do this and do that. Don't think and don't have qualms. Train hard and don't slack. Think as a villain and not as a hero. Stop being weak and shut everything else out. Look up to them and no one else. Live up to be _his_ prodigy. Never forget that night, _and never forget that day_. Those were the words she had to live by, so she wasn't used to someone worrying over her.

From the moment she met Daichi, he became an important person in her life. He was a light in the dark world she was trapped in. He never stopped lighting her way. He was like the moon, always there no matter what, whereas Shoto was like a star. A bright star like Sirius. However, just like all stars, they don't shine forever. His light has long but faded from her life.

She shakes her head, diminishing her thoughts of Shoto, not understanding why she decided to think of him. Nevertheless, it was only because of Daichi she was able to enroll in this school and get this far. He saved her in a way no one else could. Maybe she owes him more than anyone else.

The door slams open, and anxious yellow-gold eyes dart around. There's glistening sweat on his temple, showing just how much energy he spent to get here so quickly. He's standing and unharmed, no longer suffering any injuries. She stands up and Daichi's eyes lock onto her.

Her eyes are no longer drooping and wide. This is his first time seeing her not sleep deprived. She finally looks healthy and like she's been well taken care of. It's like she's a whole new person.

"Hotaru..!" He grins breathlessly, his eyes shining with relief. His breaths are heavy. "You're really here. Thank goodness—"

He takes a single step forward and his words are forced to come to a halt. Hotaru runs over to him promptly, moisture swirling in her eyes. She rams into him, making him stagger backwards a bit. Her arms are wrapped around his midsection, her face buried in his clothing as she embraces him tightly. Surprise crosses his features, her giving him a hug an absolute first.

"I'm really sorry." Hotaru says quietly, her voice somewhat muffled. "I didn't mean to make you worry so much."

With a small smile, Daichi returns her embrace while shaking his head. He's subtly being reminded of the Hotaru he met way back then—before she underwent so many changes. Even now, he doesn't know exactly what happened. All he could do is guess.

"You don't need to apologize." He replies. "You warned me many times to just forget about you, and I chose not to. So, here we are."

"I really do appreciate everything you've done for me… you saved me... but see what happened?!" She pulls back, glaring up at him. "You almost died! You should've just listened to me, you idiot!"

"Ah, whatever. It's in the past. I'm still alive, aren't I?" He waves her off, making her huff. She didn't fail to notice how he used the same words she used against him once before. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," She mutters, walking over and grabbing her bag. "I want to sleep."

She was aware Daichi was on his way to come get her. For the time being, it seems she's going to be staying with him since she has nowhere else to go. Apparently he doesn't live too far away from here. Living with Daichi… _she wonders what that would be like_.

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she looks at him curiously. She knows they won't have any problems getting along. They have known each other for so long and their personalities are compatible. Yes, she's not concerned about not enjoying her stay. She's actually just curious about what his house looks like.

He's a park ranger and fish store owner. Gradually, her silver orbs start to sparkle and grow brighter. Does he live in an apartment with a fish tank? Or, does he live in a house with a big yard inhabiting a pond? Does he have any animals? Cats? All of the above?

She says her goodnight to Nezu, following Daichi out of the room with an eager smile. Many pictures run through her mind of what his abode could possibly look like. One thing's for certain, _his house must be amazing_.

•○●○•

"I'm being serious, Hotaru! You really need to start wearing your seatbelt. I know it isn't all that comfortable, but it's for your safety. Not to mention it's the law—hey. Are you ignoring me?!" Daichi rants, jabbing a finger at Hotaru.

"I hear you." She mutters, walking past him with her hands in her pockets.

If she's being honest, she's only halfway paying attention to him. However, she gets the gist of what he's saying. He's right. Wearing your seatbelt is important, but something else is far more important. Right now, she needs to find that important thing.

She inspects the house thoroughly and with no shame. Daichi plops down on the couch, watching her silently with a frown. He's sure having someone other than himself in this house is going to be quite interesting, especially since that person is Hotaru.

It's a nice sized house, actually. Not too big but not too small either. The traditional japanese interior matches the exterior perfectly. Tatami flooring and sliding doors. It's beautiful, spacious, and very organized. Hotaru wonders why Daichi would need a house this size just for himself.

Regardless of the size of the house, it's evident she'll be getting her own bed and bathroom. She's very satisfied with that. This house is _almost_ perfect. It would've earned a perfect score, _if…_

"All this extra space and you don't even have a fish tank?" Hotaru walks out from the hallway, coming to a stop in front of Daichi with her hands on her hips. "I'm disappointed."

"I'm always working and hardly ever here, so of course I don't have one." He speaks like it's obvious. "Not to mention I _had_ like a hundred of tanks set up until that villain decided to blow up my store and fry all my fish."

"T-That's right." Hotaru grows unbelievably pale, bringing her hand over her mouth in horror as she reminisces.

She was so worried about Daichi that day and completely out of it that she didn't even realize what became of all the aquatic creatures. All of those fish died a brutal death. They may as well have become fish sticks. She clasps both of her hands in front of her and lowers her eyelids, saying a silent prayer for them.

"Well the good news is the reconstruction of my store is going smoothly. In about a month or so it should be done, then I can start setting up all those fish tanks again and start placing my orders." He says, and Hotaru's eyes reopen.

"Placing you orders?" She questions.

"Yeah." He laughs, leaning forward. "I place an order for fish. You didn't think I caught all of those fish myself, did you?"

"..."

Hotaru's cheeks darken and she looks off to the side. Embarrassing enough, she actually did think that. Daichi laughs some more and more loudly, and she scowls. When she looks back over at him, she's glaring.

"Sorry for not knowing they ship out fish like they ship out your average packages." She crosses her arms over her chest. "...Isn't that a little cruel?"

"Just wait till you hear how they restock lakes."

His amused face makes her jaw slowly go slack. She blinks a few times, feeling dreadful suddenly. How do they restock lakes? Is it worse than trapping fish in bags and stuffing them in a dark boxes for shipping? Little did she know, it's much worse.

•○●○•

Hotaru stands in front of U.A. High School, staring at a plane flying overhead. She swallows forcefully, taking note of how high it is in the sky. Daichi had to have been lying to her. There's no way that they drop fish out of planes to restock lakes.

Surely the impact of falling into the water after being dropped from so high up would kill them? What if a strong gust of wind blows and throws the fish off course, making them splat onto the ground? Such a method is way too reckless. Yet… _Daichi has never lied to her before_. She shakes her head to get rid of the scene she's visualizing.

Daichi dropped her off here this morning before he went off to work. She slept comfortably and there was even a nice breakfast prepared for her to eat. For once, she's living a normal life—a life she has always desired. She finally feels stable.

She has a genuine home now and attends the literal best hero school. She doesn't have to worry about anything anymore. The road she's walking down now in her life goes on forever. It's so bright, and she's so happy. However, _she's nervous too._

It's almost like today is her first official day. She's no longer here to get retribution and worry over a certain someone. Starting now, she's here to become a hero. From here on out, she's going to chase after this dream of hers.

Her lips curve upwards into a smile and she reaches forward, her hand covering the school in the near distance. She curls her fingers as if to grab the building. All Might was right. This dream of hers was never too far out of her reach. Right now, she has a firm hold on it. Dreams really aren't just accidental. She needs to thank the top hero, and others too.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she holds it in front of her. The picture she took with All Might greets her and she can't help but laugh. She opens up her camera and snaps a photo of her school before her on this sunny day. She wants to remember this moment. It's as if she's documenting her first steps towards becoming a hero.

"Hey, Taru-chan!"

She looks over to see Kaminari walking over to her. He has just arrived for the day. She puts her phone back in her pocket and faces him, bowing lowly which makes him become overcome with confusion.

"Kaminari-kun, I'm really sorry about shocking you yesterday. I was being completely stupid and very disrespectful." She says, and he merely grins and waves his hand through the air.

"Don't worry about it. I completely ignored your warning. But, man," He draws out, folding his arms behind his head. "I didn't think your lightning was _that_ powerful. That wasn't even your max voltage, huh?"

"N-No, it wasn't." She stutters slightly, straightening up with tinted cheeks. "I try not to use my max voltage because I always become completely useless afterwards."

"Really? Same!" He beams in excitement. "We're kind of similar then! My brain becomes short-circuited and I can't do anything for an hour."

"I guess so." She gives a small smile, fighting a laugh as she remembers how he acted with his short-circuited brain. "My body just completely shuts down afterwards. I envy the fact that you can at least stay conscious, and that your hair doesn't frizz up."

She takes a strand of her currently not frizzy hair between her fingers. Kaminari smirks, crossing his arms over his chest and staring down at her rather smugly. She gasps and leans closer to him in a flash with wide eyes.

"Is there a way to prevent it from happening? Do you know?" She questions, and he turns away from her with a shrug.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows?"

"Kaminari-kun!" She pleads, grabbing onto his sleeve and making him even more smug. "If there's some kind of secret to it, then tell me!"

The truth is, it just doesn't happen to him. He's just enjoying teasing her right now and having her beg adorably for information. How she says his name with her cute voice is nice too. He finally faces her and instead of answering her, he requests something. Her eyelid twitches.

"Call me Denki."

"Kaminari!" A new voice wails.

The two of them turn their heads, seeing Mineta charging towards them both. His eyes are enraged and locked onto Hotaru's hands clutching his sleeve. Those two are way too close for his liking. How dare Kaminari try to steal his woman?

He leaps through the air dramatically, soaring towards them like a bird. Hotaru releases Kaminari's sleeve, turning to Mineta with a smile that makes him falter. His eyes grow wide and his cheeks turn a bright pink. How can someone be so beautiful?

Upon looking in his direction, her big and silver eyes light up. It's like the wind blows for the sole purpose of making her hair flow delicately just for him. Blades of grass swirl around her petite frame and her school skirt flutters. Some of her dark and rich strands glow gold as a result of the sunlight.

"Good morning, Mineta-kun." She beams, making him freeze in mid-air. Her dark lashes flutter when she blinks in bewilderment, especially when he falls onto the ground, face-planting.

"What was that about?" Kaminari rubs the back of his head, gazing down at Mineta's still form. He's slightly irritated at the interruption.

"If you're going to jump like that, you should at least try to think about your landing beforehand. That was reckless." Hotaru says with a tiny frown, crouching down and holding out her hand. "Are you alright?"

Mineta grabs onto her hand with surprising speed, making her eyes enlarge. He slowly looks up, revealing his scratched-up face, bloody nose, and perverted grin. Despite his fall, she knows that bloody nose isn't a result from it.

"I am now… Taru-chan." He licks his lips. Her skin… _is very soft_. His big eyes are trembling, and he starts to drool. "Tell me, how much longer are you going to keep this a secret?"

"Keep what a secret?" She murmurs in question, her brows furrowing.

"Your feelings for me. It's obvious, Taru-chan. You care about me a lot, don't you?" He quivers in delight, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand. "I can see right through you, my sexy anti-hero. You're the only girl who shows me so much affection."

"I didn't think I was being all that secretive about it." She tilts her head in confusion, helping him onto his feet. "But, maybe I haven't been making it very clear either."

Just like that, Kaminari and Mineta resemble poorly drawn sketch cutouts, or even mediocre animation. Beady eyes, squiggly lines, and as white as a sheet. Inwardly, they both scream. Hotaru straightens up, easily freeing her hand from Mineta's in his stunned state.

"Of course, I care about you." She says before looking over at Kaminari. "I care about you too, Kaminari-kun. From the moment I came here, you both tolerated and uplifted me. I consider you both my friends, so isn't it only natural that I care?"

Instantly after those words, the distant school bell rings. Hotaru isn't sure if that's the warning bell or late bell. To be on the safe side, she should get going. It won't be good at all if she's late on her first official day. She needs to give her all to become the hero she wants to be, and that includes following school rules.

"See you in class." She waves as she turns, heading up the stairs and towards the school ahead.

As she departs, Kaminari and Mineta return to their normal states. Kaminari lets out a breath of relief, thinking Hotaru actually liked Mineta... _like that_. He's glad it's not like that. However, Mineta drops onto his knees and brings his hands to his head. How dare she play with his heart like that, _and so mercilessly?!_

Perhaps it was unintentional… or maybe she wants to keep her feelings for him a secret. Yes, that must be it. It's because Kaminari is here and she doesn't want to break his heart by confessing her loving feelings to him. _She wants to keep their relationship a secret—_

"Mineta-kun, Kaminari-kun, my dear 'friends,'" Her voice brings them out of their thoughts, making them look up the flight of stairs.

They both grow pale at her intimidating eyes and her lazy smirk. It's as if she sensed their thoughts. She brings her hand up, brushing her bangs back as she faces them. Her villain side is showing, and it's being directed solely towards them.

"I hope someday you'll think of me as a 'friend,' too." She continues, clasping her hands together behind her back. "You see, I'm not interested in becoming anything more than that. Please understand, for your sake rather than mine. That would make me really happy. That's all."

She turns away from them, running her fingers through her wavy hair as she does with a smile. Mineta and Kaminari stare after her with agape mouths. Never have they been turned down in a more beautiful and piercing way. She's untouchable like lightning itself.

"Well, it was worth a shot." Kaminari sighs.

"I won't give up on you… Taru-chan." Mineta reaches after her, more determined than ever.

Hotaru steps through the front entry doors, leaving those two far behind her. Her feet carry her towards her shoe locker. As she slides out of her tennis shoes, she opens her locker and pulls out her uniform footwear. Something unexpected comes falling out.

Her lips part slightly, staring at the neat envelope that has drifted to the ground. It has fallen a couple feet away. She stares at it. A letter? Who would've written her a letter? Nobody comes to mind and as a result her curiosity is on the rise.

She places her outdoor shoes in her locker and sets her uniform shoes carefully onto the tiled floor. Just as she begins to walk over and retrieve the letter, someone else grabs a hold of it. She looks up a little warily, and her eyes widen at who's now before her.

They stare at each other silently, other students occasionally passing by. There is faint chattering surrounding them but complete silence between them. Shoto holds the letter out to her wordlessly. She's frozen stiff.

Her silver orbs are staring up at him through her ebony lashes, her lips down-turned slightly and a small crease in her brow. He's a few inches taller than her and she's not sure why that suddenly comes to mind. An ivory petal drifts in his direction from the open door. Her eyes avert away from his and towards the letter he's holding out to her. She takes it with sealed lips.

She turns away from him so she's facing her locker, and he opens the locker directly next to hers. How ironic that their foot lockers are side by side. Just like they sit next to each other in class and somehow always get partnered up together or against each other… there's no escaping him.

The moment she neatly tears open the letter Shoto starts to switch out his shoes. His presence makes her fingers tremble slightly. He's close, and her pulse is pounding loudly in her ears. Her eyelids lower slightly.

 _Anger and frustration_ , those emotions are flowing through her veins. After everything, he won't even say a simple "thank you?" Although, part of her wonders if she even wants that from him. Would it really bring her satisfaction at this point?

Him giving her his thanks, blessing her with a smile like the ones he gave her back then, him greeting her with a hug and going on mini adventures with her… those things just don't sound the same. Upon these thoughts, she realizes that she doesn't want anything to do with him at all.

Things are always bound to change, and change they did. She's growing to accept these things little by little. This new road she's walking down has put everything else behind her, _including him._ Although he's behind her along with other things, that doesn't mean she doesn't occasionally look back. She's always reflecting on the past, and she's not sure if that's a bad thing or not.

Dragging herself out of her thoughts, she pulls a neatly folded piece of paper out of the envelope. It's a map of school grounds. That's it. There's no writing of any kind on it other than the words displaying the names of various buildings, training grounds, and roads. Her lips purse slightly in confusion before realization dawns on her.

She was supposed to receive a map of the school on her first day here but never did. _Wait._ Confusion washes over her again. Nezu gave her a map when he printed out her schedule for her. Well, whatever. Having another map won't harm her in any way or form.

With a small shrug, she shoves the folded map into her pocket and slides on her uniform shoes. After tying them and closing her locker, she takes that first step towards her classroom. She passes by Shoto and he looks her way.

"Aihara-san—" He begins to say, and she smoothly cuts him off.

"Not interested."

"—Thank you." He finishes like she didn't interrupt him at all.

She stops in her tracks and leaves her back facing him. He stares at the back of her head, watching as her shoulders rise from a profound breath. When she releases that breath her head drops slightly, causing her disheveled tresses to bound. She faces him suddenly with a glower.

"I said I'm not interested—"

"And, I'm sorry."

Her silver eyes widen, a sheen swirling within them in her surprised state. That sheen fades almost as quickly as it appeared. Her lips downturn and her gaze becomes thunderous. She folds her arms over her chest.

"Somehow, I'm even less interested than before." She murmurs, her eyes narrowing. "You can keep your thanks and your apology. Let me make something clear, right here and now. You're the person I'm least interested in. Now, do me a favor and stop talking to me. Seriously," Her eyes shut in annoyance. "Your voice sounds like nothing but an irksome gnat buzzing around my ear. If you're not careful I may end up swatting you."

"I'm not keeping my thanks or apology." He disagrees, making her silver orbs reopen. "You don't have to accept it, but after everything you at least deserve to hear it. That's all I wanted to say."

"Not interested means, 'not interested.'" She scowls at the fact he's still talking.

"You say that, but you're still here."

A popping vein forms on her temple and she jabs a finger at him. The few students walking by flinch at her sudden swift movements. However, Shoto doesn't.

"Because I'm trying to have the last word here, but you keep talking!"

"You're the one dragging this conversation out."

"Wow, Mister Shoto Todoroki," She slowly smirks and the muscle in her right eye twitches. "You grow more annoying as the days go by, and it seems you don't take warnings seriously either. I wasn't lying when I said I would swat you."

"Just this once, I'll let you." He utters, and all her defenses fall away.

Her hand lowers and hangs limply at her side. The scowl on her face disappears and an expression of dismay takes its place. She tries to convince herself she heard him wrong. This is something she never would've expected.

Saying his apology and saying a thank you is the least he could do. He knows if he didn't say them now he never would've gotten around to it, and he also knows that this is the only way he'll stop feeling this remorse.

He wants to move on and put this behind him, even if he has to go so far as letting her hit him in order to do just that. There are more important things he should be focusing on rather than this little desire he has to make up for his repugnant behavior. After this, this feud of theirs will end and he'll be able to work towards his own ambition without her being a distraction for any longer than she already has.

"You say that as if I'm not capable of landing a solid hit on my own. Seriously," She starts walking towards him, her hair somewhat fallen over her face. "You're so dumb. When will you stop misjudging me?"

She comes to a stop only a couple of inches in front of him. Her silvery eyes gaze deeply into his heterochromia ones. They move, lingering over the scar on his face before getting lost in his hair. She raises her hand while rising onto the tips of her toes.

His eyes widen a notch when he feels her fingers in his hair on his left side. There is a staggering sensation in his chest and his lips press firmly together. What is she doing? He grows rigid and his eyes narrow.

"If you're going to offer to let me hit you, you should've done so outside. The way I want to hit you will definitely get me expelled." She begins with a lazy expression. "You shouldn't say things like that so lightly."

Tenderly, she lowers her hand and it falls away from his soft crimson locks. Between her fingers is an ivory flower petal—that same one from earlier. At some point it became lodged in his hair. She holds it in front of her and in a way so it blocks her left eye from his sight.

"I'll acknowledge your apology, but I won't accept it. There's really no need for you to say one. You never were the type to act without a motive, and that was just one motive I knew and understood." Gradually, her lips curve upwards into an amiable smile. "But, I'll accept your 'thank you' even though I should be the one to say just that."

She holds the flower petal out to him, and he takes it with hesitation. Her words are on replay in his head and the aftermath is potent. It's impossible for him to figure out how she could be so sympathetic after everything, just like he couldn't perceive how she could smile so easily back in their younger days.

"Why would you be thankful towards me?" He inquires earnestly, and she clasps her hands together behind her back. "Just yesterday you said you would 'forever resent' me. You're impossible to understand. Everything you say is contradicting."

"You're acting like you haven't been contradicting yourself. You say all these mean things then go out of your way to save me." She says, reminding him of what happened at U.S.J. "I'm having a hard time understanding you, too."

An unpleasant silence breaks out between them. They gaze at each other tenuously, almost as if they are suddenly shy. Hotaru looks off to the side for a moment while trying to ignore the warmness in her cheeks, while Shoto simply looks at the ground.

"A-Anyways," Hotaru stutters slightly, gathering the courage to look back at him. "I was acting stupid yesterday. I don't resent you. But, I don't exactly like you either. As for why I'm thankful towards you, well… I'll let you figure that out."

"Sounds like a waste of time." He says indifferently, obviously not planning on trying to figure it out.

"That's fine. In all honesty, I might just end up telling you myself one day. Until that day comes," She leans a bit closer to him with a smirk. "You don't exist to me."

Little does she know, he wants that just as much as she does. To take their minds off of each other, to focus on their own goals, to act as if they don't know each other… that's what they need. They can't forgive each other so easily and where they stand is the least of their concerns.

"Good." Shoto accepts that easily, and she smiles.

"Perfect. Well then, goodbye stranger." Hotaru waves in farewell.

He nods his head slightly and the two of them turn to go their separate ways. However, since they happen to be going to the same place, they end up walking to class together. Neither of them speak a word, and as they walk Shoto lets the flower petal slip from his fingers.

A tiny hand grabs a hold of the abandoned flower petal and stares harshly at the back of their heads. How they're walking side by side and how close they are to one another… that just won't do. Mineta trails after them like a zombie.

"...How dare you…"

•○●○•

"Hey, did you watch the news last night?" Hagakure asks excitedly, and Ojiro nods. "Did you see how everyone in class was on-screen for a second? I didn't stand out at all…"

Hagakure starts whining towards the end of her words, her not standing out being a recurring thing. Her invisible body just isn't meant to be on screen.

"That's true." Shoji agrees.

"It's hard to stand out looking like that, huh?" Ojiro says a little sheepishly, sweat forming on his temple.

"But man, all the channels made a big deal out of it." Kaminari folds his arms behind his head, leaning back in his seat with a smile. He looks back at a thoughtful Kirishima.

"I was surprised." Kirishima admits.

"Can you blame them?" Jiro joins in, ceasing from fiddling with her earphone jacks. She holds her hand out in a smart manner and her eyes shut. "The hero course that keeps pumping out pro heroes was attacked."

Sero suddenly lets out a heavy breath, making everyone look to him. He leans forward and folds his arms over his desk, slumping forward. Remembering the attack is exhausting to him.

"Who knows what would've happened if the teachers hadn't come when they did." Sero sighs in relief, then Mineta starts wailing with tears in his eyes while waving his fists everywhere.

"Stop that, Sero! Just thinking about it is making me wet myself—!"

"Shut up! Be quiet, scum!" Bakugo roars, making Mineta turn as white as a ghost. Although his yell is directed towards him only, Midoriya even grows pale in fright.

"But man, All Might was great." Sato smiles, punching the air. "He pushed back all those crazy strong villains!"

"Yes, his strength is worth wondering at." Tokoyami agrees.

Hotaru listens to her classmates as they talk about that incident and what was shown on the news, although not joining in. While they socialize she stares out the window. There's a cicada stuck to the other side of the glass. She sticks her tongue out as it as if to mock it.

"Hey, Taru-chan~!" A voice addresses her, making her look over.

It was Ashido who said her name. Her pink form is facing her from her seat at her desk, and there is a wide smile on her face. If the class group hug yesterday wasn't enough proof that everyone is starting to warm up to her, Ashido calling her "Taru-chan" definitely is.

"What is it?" Hotaru asks, tilting her head slightly like a curious puppy.

"You were actually a wanted villain for a bit after the incident, huh?" She questions, waving her index finger through the air idly. "What was that like?"

"Oh, yeah." Uraraka ponders to herself, looking over. "I'm a little curious too."

At this point, nearly all of her classmates are looking at her curiously. If it wasn't for Bakugo's glaring eyes, Mineta's perverted gaze, Aoyama's naturally odd stare, and the fact that Shoto hasn't even spared her a glance, she would deem them all interested in hearing her answer.

"What it was like…?" Hotaru murmurs to herself, resting her head against her balled up fist. "It wasn't much different than before."

"But," Asui brings her finger to her chin as she speculates. "Before there were no heroes actively searching for you."

"Yeah, that's true." Kaminari scrunches up his nose in thought. "Not many people knew Lightning Beast had a daughter, Pro Heroes especially."

"It must've been harder for you to get around." Sato states, and he's not wrong.

It was much easier for her to get around undetected before the incident. However, she still had to be careful before then. She couldn't use her quirk so carelessly. Since she takes after both of her well-known parents greatly in terms of her physical features, notably her eyes, she couldn't wander without caution.

They are speaking innocently, genuinely interested in what her villain life was like. Asui's and Kaminari's speculations aren't wrong at all. Not many Pro Heroes knew she existed, but that doesn't mean there wasn't someone searching for her from time to time. He came close to seizing her quite a couple times, too. Her hand falls into her lap, and before she knows it, her fingers are tightly gripping her skirt.

"Well, actually…" Hotaru starts to say, her voice gradually growing weaker. "There was one hero who…"

•

" _You lead him right to us… Taru you wretched snake…!"_

•

Her voice was so inaudible that only those sitting closest to her were able to actually hear. Shoto is the only one who knows just who she's talking about. As a result, his abusive childhood hits him full force, making his fingers curl into fists. He silently waits to hear what she has to say about his old man, but she doesn't say a word.

A good few seconds of silence go by, which makes Shoto finally look over at her. She's staring with wide eyes at the sleek top of her desk, sweat gliding down her pale face. Her silver orbs are glazed over as if she's recalling something. That look of fear and regret on her face… did something happen between her and his old man that he doesn't know about? His jaw grows tight.

"Everyone! Morning homeroom is about to start!" Iida suddenly comes charging into the room, his movements like a robot with his perfect posture. He comes to a stop behind the front podium, throwing out his arms dramatically. "Stop talking and take your seats!"

Thanks to Iida's over-dramatic entrance and the fact that he's the only one not in his seat, all attention is drawn away from Hotaru. She's thankful, because suddenly she can't find her voice. She stares out the window once more with a vacant expression, and Shoto battles the urge to talk to her even though she's supposed to be nonexistent to him.

Hotaru's fingers straighten out and rest against her thighs, no longer gripping her skirt and causing wrinkles. A frown is now on her face. She didn't mean to think so deeply about her past and let it get the better of her. Maybe she did just that because even now she's not so sure what to make of it. She holds back a sigh. How annoying.

She wishes Aizawa was fully recovered and here. She wonders what he would say about her childhood if she were to reveal it. He would probably give her some great and down to earth guidance.

"Morning."

"S-Sensei?!" Hotaru blurts, looking at Aizawa with wide eyes.

"Y-You're too much of a pro!" Kaminari stutters.

"So, you're alright, Sensei?!" Iida inquires loudly.

The whole class is in an uproar at this point. Aizawa, who just arrived, limps into the room slowly. Hotaru watches his movements. He's completely covered and bandages, most notably his face and arms. Why is he here? Is it even safe for him to be moving around like that? What if he re-injures himself somehow? She slowly stands up and raises her hand.

"Sensei, you should be resting." Hotaru speaks, her eyebrows knitting together in worry. "Don't push yourself..."

"My well-being doesn't matter." He dismisses her and everyone's concerns.

Hotaru slowly sits back down, glaring at him for saying that. He looks her way briefly, his eyes giving her a once over through the small opening of his bandages that allows him to see. Her glare falters and her lips part. Could he have been worried about her? He did witness her nearly die, after all. She gives him a closed eyed smile, clasping her hands together above her desk. Wow, _he really is such a caring hero~!_

That thought of hers comes to an instant halt when he glares at her. She straightens her posture and stares ahead straight-faced like a soldier, barely suppressing a quiver. Yes, he's an extremely caring hero who can read her like an open book, and he may or not be pissed at her.

"More importantly, the fight is not over yet." Aizawa looks away from her and stares the entire class down, making them all grow tense. However, his next words make everyone cheer. "The U.A. Sports Festival is drawing near."

Nearly everyone in the room is fired up about this event, and everyone immediately begins talking about how super cool it is. Hotaru can only stare at the ceiling and imagine. She definitely heard of it, _but she can't say she knows what it is_. She's dragged out of her imagination when Aizawa starts to explain what it is.

"Our sports festival is one of Japan's biggest events. In the past, the Olympics were called a festival of sports, and the whole country was crazy about them. As you know, with reductions in scale and population, they're now a shell of their former glory. And now, for Japan, what has taken over the place of those Olympics is the U.A. Sports festival."

"Of course," Yaoyorozu speaks up. "All the top heroes around the country will be watching." She holds up a single fist. "For scouting purposes!"

"After we graduate, it's typical to join a pro agency as a sidekick." Kaminari gives an excited thumbs up, while Hotaru's jaw slowly goes slack as her nerves skyrocket.

Wait a second. This sports event is _that_ important? She also wasn't aware that you don't simply become a pro upon graduating. There's more to it? Joining a pro hero agency, scouting, and sidekicks… this is all new to her.

"A lot of people miss their chance to become independent after that and become eternal sidekicks, though." Jiro muses aloud, looking over at Kaminari. "Kaminari, I feel like you'd be one of them. Since you're dumb."

"Of course, joining a famous pro agency will get you more experience and popularity. Time is limited. If you expect to go pro, then the path to your future will open up at this event. One chance a year, a total of just three chances. No aspiring heroes can afford to miss this event. If you understand that, then don't slack off on your preparations!" Aizawa asserts.

"Yes, sir!" Everyone yells.

"Homeroom is dismissed." Aizawa announces and starts taking steps to leave.

"W-Wait I have a question!" Hotaru raises her hand desperately, looking completely lost.

"What is it?" Aizawa faces her.

"This sports event… I just don't get it." She begins in all seriousness, which earns her multiple raised eyebrows. "How does playing sports like soccer and water polo help us become pros? And why do pros recruit us based on that?"

It's so quiet she can clearly hear the cicada on the other side of the window making that annoying sound. But, why is it so quiet? Why is everyone staring at her so intensely? It's embarrassing and she doesn't like it one bit. Even _Shoto's_ staring at her.

His eyes are somewhat wide in disbelief. Did she say something bad? Despite their earlier agreement to act as if neither of them exist, she looks at him desperately with red cheeks. Her lips part to question him, but seal themselves shut when he brings his hand over his mouth and looks off in the other direction, his shoulders quivering. She lets out a silent gasp. _Is he…?_

"Ha!" Kaminari cries out, waterfall tears falling from his eyes as he laughs extremely loud. "What are you talking about, Taru-chan?!"

"Water polo?!" Uraraka brings both hands over her mouth, muffling her intense laughter and kicking her legs.

Everyone's laughing and as a result her entire face turns red. Bakugo even snickers. She doesn't understand. All she asked was a question. She springs out of her chair, glaring feebly at everyone. She's trying to bring out her villain side, but she's too embarrassed.

"S-Stop laughing!" She yells. "What's so funny about asking a question?!"

"You're not being serious, are you?" Kirishima barely gets out between his laughs, banging his fist on his desk as he tries to catch his breath.

"If you are disrespecting the U.A. Sports Festival, it's not funny!" Iida exclaims, waving his arms at her robotically.

"W-Well…! Sensei was comparing it to the Olympics!" She begins, her fingers curling into her skirt. "So, it's like that... right?"

"She's serious." Shoji realizes with widened eyes.

"Wait, Aihara-san," Midoriya looks back at her with an agape mouth. "You really never seen the U.A. Sports Festival?"

"O-Of course not." She answers like it's obvious. "The one time I tried to my mom threw a knife at me."

At that revelation, it's quiet once again. Many horrified expressions greet her, and she sighs heavily, running her fingers through her hair in irritation. She doesn't understand why everyone is so shocked. That's normal for a villain household. What did they expect her home life to be like?

"Look, just answer the question…" She starts up again, although gradually trailing off when she realizes something. Aizawa is gone. Her eyelid twitches and she pushes her chair in, stomping towards the door with a huff. "I'll be back—oh, wait."

Midoriya looks at her with big eyes of surprise when she turns around, her hair and skirt flowing with her movements. She smiles brightly at him and stops right before his desk, making him lean back in his chair with a vivid blush.

"I didn't thank you for yesterday. Thank you a lot, Midoriya-kun." She holds her hand out to him. "If you need anything, please let me know. I'd be happy to be able to help you out one day, too."

"Y-Y-Y-Yes, o-of course!" He stutters, his face twisting in a way she would describe as embarrassment. It's a rather hideous expression. He grabs onto her hand for a friendly handshake, and Mineta screeches in jealousy.

After that, she gives a parting bow before walking out the door to hunt down Aizawa. Kaminari mutters to himself about how cute she is while Mineta grabs onto Midoriya's shoulders, shaking him back in forth in anger.

"How dare you touch my woman?!" He cries, and Yaoyorozu looks at him in disgust.

"How vulgar." She whispers to herself, sighing. "Aihara-san must have great fortitude to tolerate him…" She blinks when she hears a low voice and looks over at Shoto. "Did you say something, Todoroki-san?"

"No." He lies.

He doesn't want to repeat himself, and he didn't mean to say it out loud. It was nothing of any importance. Leaning back in his chair, he lowers his eyelids. He was only agreeing with her speculation.

•○●○•

"Aizawa-sensei," Hotaru opens the door to the teachers' lounge brazenly, her silver eyes narrowed as she locks onto him.

All Might, who's sitting at his desk, lets out a silent scream. The blood shooting out of his mouth makes Hotaru look in his direction with pursed lips. She blinks a few times, stepping fully into the room and letting the door shut behind her.

Such an angular face and long limbs. He looks like a zombie and the blood definitely makes him look ghoulish. She has one word for his appearance. _Wicked._ She points at the extremely boney blonde sitting at All Might's desk.

"Who's that?" She inquires, a bit apprehensive as he panics and chokes for some reason unknown to her. "S-Shouldn't he be in a hospital?"

"Don't mind him." Aizawa dismisses, his voice somewhat muffled by his wrappings. "He's…"

"All Might's…" Midnight trails off.

"Cousin." Present Mic finishes.

Hotaru slowly lowers her hand, staring at All Might with wide eyes. The four of them gaze at her in turmoil, hoping she accepts that. A few seconds of silence go by of Hotaru staring at All Might.

"His cousin, huh?" She murmurs to herself, tapping her index finger against her cheek. She didn't know he had a cousin, although it's only natural he would. "Well, now that you say that I can definitely see the resemblance. It's nice to meet you, sir."

"T-The pleasure is all mine." All Might waves at her as she bows in greeting.

"Anyways," She straightens up and struts towards Aizawa with a deep frown.

Aizawa stares at her blankly as she walks around his desk and comes to a stop by his chair. She's giving him a stubborn glare and her lips are pressed together firmly. He turns to face her.

"What do you want? Coming into the teachers' lounge without an appointment is a violation of school rules."

"I'm sorry." Hotaru whispers, bowing to him apologetically.

"I'll let it slide just this once—" He begins tiredly, and she shakes her head.

"N-No, I mean I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you." She raises one of her hands towards her face, covering it even though her hair is already blocking it from his sight. "I'm really, _really_ , sorry."

She's apologizing for not being able to take down Nomu, huh? Aizawa lets out a bothersome sigh and gets ready to speak until he realizes droplets of moisture falling from her face. His eyes widen a notch and she snivels.

"I-I know you told me to stay on the sidelines and that I'm not a hero. But, w-when I seen you in trouble I was so scared. I was so scared during the entire thing. I-I tried my best, but I still couldn't do anything…!"

"Hey."

"I thought you were going to d-die! And I didn't want you to die. Signing death certificates or not, you don't deserve to die…! So, I couldn't just watch and do nothing…!"

"Calm down." The muscle in Aizawa's eye twitches in annoyance. She's just rambling at this point and he can't get a word in.

"You're m-my favorite hero. I owe you so much. You saved me…!" She snivels, raising her head and revealing her snobby face. He cringes at her giant blotchy tears and runny nose. "S-So, Sensei, please forgive me—!"

"Aihara."

The way he says her name makes her straighten up. She grips the collar of her shirt with both hands, sniveling. Her shoulders quiver occasionally. He gazes up at her deliberately.

"Stop crying." He says, and she continues to snivel helplessly. Her glossy eyes are clearly questioning him. If his entire arms weren't confined in casts, he would pinch the bridge of his nose. "Take in a deep breath."

Everyone watches her as she does just that. Her eyelids lower as she does. Slowly but surely, she's starting to calm down. Her quivers dying down is proof of that.

"Good. Now release it." Aizawa directs, and she complies. Once her tears slow and her snivels stop, he speaks. "You didn't do anything wrong. Save your apology. You should be proud of yourself if anything."

"Proud of myself your letting you get squashed like a b-bug?" She whimpers, rubbing at her eyes and oblivious to the annoyance Aizawa displays at that description. Present Mic coughs.

"No." Aizawa grumbles, making her eyes widen. "You saved your classmate from death and bravely stood up against your deranged parents. Even though the end result wasn't the best, it was satisfactory. You should be proud of the obstacles you've overcome. But..."

His dark and bloodshot eyes glare at her so severely she flinches. She shrinks back slightly and trembles like a frightened puppy. How to breathe becomes a mystery to her as it feels like something heavy has been dropped onto her shoulders.

"...You were stupid to get mixed up in my fight. What made you think you could take that thing on? In that situation you should've taken the initiative to get yourself to safety. As your teacher, I'm very disappointed in you."

"A-Aizawa-kun…" All Might joins in hesitantly, holding his hands out in front of him apprehensively. "That's a little harsh…"

"However," Aizawa sighs once more, saying an unexpected bunch of words. "More than anything, I'm proud of you."

He recalls exactly what happened. Although her actions were reckless and she was suffering from injuries from her own father, she didn't think twice about jumping in to help him. She acted quickly despite her fear and gave everything she had from the get-go. Not many could do what she did.

Upon coming here, she had to make many choices. Although she had on the mask of a villain, beneath that mask was a fearful and lost child—a child who knew what she wanted but needed help in order to obtain it.

Even though the amount of time she's been his student has been short, watching and helping her throughout her journey so far has felt like an eternity. She's grown considerably, but she still has a long way to go. As her teacher he's determined to guide her and has lofty expectations he expects her to meet.

"Just don't do anything like that again." He turns away from her, obviously dismissing her. "Technically that was also a violation of rules that comes with strict consequences. You're lucky to be alive and even more fortunate I'm not punishing you properly."

Without warning, he suddenly feels arms wrapped around him. His eyes nearly bulge out of his bandages when he turns his head, seeing Hotaru's face buried in his scarf. She's hugging him, taking advantage of the fact he's bandaged up and can't counter.

"Get off." He growls.

"Bravo!" Present Mic claps loudly at the scene before him, and All Might grins.

"Youth is so wonderful~!" Midnight squeals happily and brings her hands over her red cheeks.

"Get off!"

Hotaru snickers, releasing Aizawa from her surprise embrace with a smile. She couldn't help herself, and she knew if she didn't do it now she would probably never get the chance to do so. He looks so angry with his narrowed eyes and that popping vein, but it was definitely worth it.

"Thank you for everything, Sensei." She straightens up, getting rid of the remainder of wet trails from her cheeks with her fists. "You're the best."

"If that's all you wanted to say, then leave." Aizawa turns away from her with a scowl.

"Actually, that's not the reason I came here." She admits, clasping her hands together. "You never answered my question about the sports festival."

"You were serious?"

Now it's Hotaru's turn to look irritated. Did he not take her question seriously like everyone else? He thought she was joking? She crosses her arms over her chest. Just how much of a fool did she make herself to be?

"Yes, I was serious!" She looks off to the side, glaring out the nearby window. "I really don't know what it is. It shouldn't be so shocking. I was raised by _villains_ to be a _villain_. Watching anything hero related was taboo."

"Even so, that's still shocking." Midnight blinks in surprise, walking over with her hands on her hips. "The sports festival is monumental. To sum it up, it's a chance for students to showcase their abilities in different competitions."

"Oh, it's not your average sports?" Hotaru murmurs with wide eyes and Midnight nods in confirmation, which makes her let out a relieved breath. "So, it's nothing too physical?"

"It's all physical." Present Mic reveals, making Hotaru look over at him with an agape mouth. "That's the whole point! To show off your strength, speed, endurance, your quirk, all of that!"

"Pro heroes from all over the country will be watching. So, it's very important that you make sure you prepare accordingly beforehand so you can get good offers." All Might joins in.

Hotaru slouches at their words. This isn't good at all. She's pretty confident with her quirk, although she can definitely work on controlling her speed trick a little more. However, _when it comes to strength and endurance…_ She recalls her poor results from Aizawa's quirk apprehension test. As if reading her mind, he finally speaks up.

"Looks like you have a lot of training to do." He states.

"Do I have enough time?" She inquires with a pout, deeply worried. "When is the sports festival?"

"It's a month from now. Judging from your current state…" Aizawa turns his head and studies her. "...If you start your training now you might improve before then."

"'Might?'" Hotaru scoffs. "Have you forgotten just who I am? I am the daughter of Lightning Beast and Two-Face. I'm sure I'll be able to improve big time. Just you wait." She jabs a finger at him. "I consider myself a lazy person, but I'll work hard starting now. This wouldn't be the first time I've trained rigorously."

"Speaking of your parents," Aizawa suddenly says, making her tense. "Have you heard from them?"

"No…" She whispers, staring at her feet. "Not a word."

"Also, your father mentioned you protecting Todoroki. Was that your goal from the beginning? It's baffling since you two don't get along."

"I must say, I'm curious as well." All Might mutters to himself, making Hotaru look over at him with a raised brow. Why would he be curious? He starts coughing blood. "I-I mean I'm curious because the rivalry Lightning Beast and Endeavor have is very intense! It makes sense that it would be the same between their children!"

She understands why they are curious, especially since the beans were spilled at U.S.J. Her and Shoto's relationship is very complicated and goes way back, and no one but themselves knows about it.

The distance between them has grown even deeper and now she's partially to blame. Yet, for once she doesn't mind this rift. Perhaps she desires it, or rather she just merely doesn't care anymore. She simply has no more feelings left towards him and she no longer sees the need to protect him. It's no surprise to her that this growing rift has become noticed.

Although she claims that, she stares at her hand that weaved through Shoto's soft tresses. In that moment, it felt like the rift closed. It felt like they were sitting at the park again. She lets out a breath. Why is it so hard to hate and forget him? Why did his muffled laugh, _make her feel so light?_

She glances at the four adults in the room. It's just them in here. If she tells them her story, could they help her sort out her thoughts? Help her atone? Will her regrets lessen? She hopes All Might's cousin is as wise as All Might himself.

They probably won't look at her the same way again after this. But, they'll get the answers to their many questions she's sure they have, and she'll get some answers as well. It'll be a win-win. And, if it's in front of them, she doesn't mind speaking of her past out-loud.

"Say, Sensei," Hotaru begins, looking at Aizawa with a smile. She plops down in the chair next to his desk, sitting on her knees. "Would you like to hear my story?"

"Your story?" He repeats blandly, and she nods.

"Yes. The story of Hotaru Aihara. From beginning till now." She folds her arms over the backrest and leans forward. "What do you say?"

"Yeah!" Present Mic exclaims from across the room, and Hotaru sweat-drops with a cat-like expression when he runs over. All Might's already nearby and so is Midnight, so they don't need to come closer to listen.

"Okay," Hotaru holds up her index finger in warning. "Treat this as top-secret information, got it? I haven't even told Daichi this. In fact, you four are about to be the first to hear this story."

Her eyelids lower, and she can easily feel the warmth from the sunlight gleaming through the window caress her face. The organ in her chest is pounding away. Keeping this to herself for so long almost feels like a burden. She's nervous and eager, doubting this whole thing already. She just needs to stop thinking. Her eyelids raise.

"This is the story of how me and Shoto became the best of friends then the worst of enemies. This is the story of my childhood, how I was raised, and why I was even born. I'm going to flat out warn you right now that it was unpleasant, but maybe not to the degree you're thinking. My mom and I clashed from time to time, but my father and I actually had a very stable relationship. He was a bad man, but as a father he was ideal until a certain point."

She locks eyes with Aizawa, her lips curving upwards into a shrewd smirk. He's listening silently and intently like everyone else. Her fingers unconsciously play with her hair, wondering what kind of reaction she'll get out of him after this secret.

"Can you guess when he stopped being a good dad?" She questions.

"When Endeavor 'killed' him?" Aizawa guesses rather confidently, and she nods.

"That's right." She rests her head against her folded arms. "It's no secret that Endeavor almost killed him. But, here's an even bigger secret."

The air in the room grows chilly and Hotaru makes lightning dance across her fingertips. A flock of birds fly across the sky just outside, making shadows pass over her form. What she says next makes All Might choke and cough blood, Midnight gasp, Present Mic shrill, and Aizawa's eyes grow even wider than before.

"Did you know that I helped Endeavor 'kill' my own father?"

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Confrontation

❤•○●○•❤

Silver clashes against turquoise. His flames match the golden sky, and her expression matches the approaching dark night. Her nails are digging into her palms and she's trembling furiously. It's taking everything in her to not lunge at this man.

"You can say whatever you want regarding how evil of a villain my old man is. That's something you and I can both agree on. But, I don't think you have the right to judge his worth as a father. In fact, I bet you could've learned a lot from him. Don't you dare talk as if you are the best dad in the world. I'm not dumb. I may not know the details, but after seeing Shoto all these years later," Her teeth bare. "You're the worst possible man a child could have as a father."

"Right, you don't know the details. So, neither do you, a villain, have the right to judge my worth."

"Endeavor...!" She growls lowly.


	19. Confrontation

**Shinoki:** ahhh, tysm! thank you for reading & reviewing, & i'm so glad you're enjoying this story (⁀ᗢ⁀) makes me so happy ~ ! ❤

 **Rynxenvy:** haha it was super cute to write. they really are both too prideful o('ω')o , silly kids ~ i can't wait for their relationship to progress, too !

 **kaycblu:** ahah thank you! i love writing Mineta interactions especially, it's just so funny to me ! Shoto interactions are also starting to become more enjoyable to write. the tension is starting to lessen for sureee (¯▿¯)

 **bbymojo:** you're very _very_ welcome ! Hotaru is definitely making progress, but you are absolutely right about her needing to accept herself and whatnot. i really enjoy writing Mineta and Hotaru scenes, it's honestly so funny and fun. and i'm very happy that you're liking the Shoto and Hotaru improvement. it's going more smoothly than i thought it would ahah, although they still have some ways to go. they are both so stubborn. wishing they would just hug already but ahh. and Daichi and Aizawa ❤ very important people in Hotaru's life \\(^ヮ^)/ . love em ! thank you so much for reading and reviewing as always ❤

 **Ali Daisy:** thank you ! ❤ i'm feeling completely stress-free now, and this was a much needed winter break ! unfortunately it's almost over already but oh well ~ haha ! it was a great festive season ! and i definitely giggled writing that part. poor Shoto !

 **jaffa3:** tysm for reading and reviewing ! happy you're a fan ! ＼(≧▽≦)／ Aizawa is one of my favorite characters too. i can relate to him in so many ways lolol. hope you continue to enjoy this story!

 **Zdraco:** they really deserve so much better, they've been through so much (╥_╥) but, the pain they've been feeling can't even compare to the joy that will come ❤ ! and yeah, that Endeavor is crude for sure. thank you for reading and reviewing (＾▽＾)

•○●○•

 _ **i did some sketches last week of Hotaru ~**_

 _ **i've been wanting to draw her for a while now. these are just expression sketches, not full body. i tried doing a full body but it just wasn't working so i'll do that later lol.**_

 _ **i tried to capture her villain and hero side ahah.**_

 _ **if you want to see, here's a link ;**_

cherryblossomx6 (dotdeviantart) (dotcom) /art/ Hotaru-Aihara-OC-BNHA-826568228

 ** _just remove the spaces and put a "." where you see the word "dot" and remove parentheses._**

 ** _or if that's not working just look up my username on deviant art lolol._**

•○●○•

 **Happy New Year ~ !**

 **wishing everyone happiness and good health** ❤

 **this is another pretty long chapter, aha.**

 **i hope everyone enjoys it, and i apologize for any errors.**

 **thank you all for reading !**

(´ ∀ ` *)

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Confrontation

❤•○●○•❤

From the moment she was born, her parents both cared for her lovingly. They played games with her and made her laugh, cooked her favorite meals made sure she had everything she needed always. She was happy and so were they. She was their prodigy. They were the best parents and she was the best daughter, _until she hit the age five_.

Her fifth birthday was the day she and her parents were looking forward to. It was the day her quirk would manifest. However, _it never did_. Her mother started to grow resentful as the days went by, often ignoring her existence. It didn't take long for her to become abusive towards her. She often threatened her, and more often attempted cut her open with her favorite knife.

On the other hand, her father never lost his faith in her. He waited patiently and remained the same loving father he's always been. Every day he smiled at her and was always happy to hear her daily stories. He was nothing but nice to her and he protected her from her mother's abusive ways. That's the only reason she survived her younger years.

Her father was her favorite person. She admired him and was always so thankful for his existence. She loved him more than anyone else. Life without her father is something she couldn't imagine. It was like he anchored her to this world. But, just like her mother, she started to see him less and less.

It wasn't uncommon for her to be left home alone. She remembers it vividly—that dark and decrepit apartment. Cobwebs were hanging in every corner and broken glass was scattered about. It was an unseemly home, but it was her home.

Once she was left alone for three days straight, and during those lonesome days she left her home for the first time. Her parents never told her what she could and couldn't do around the house, and they never told her to stay indoors. She was free to do whatever she wanted, and on that day she wanted food.

She wandered aimlessly, people on the streets ignoring her presence. Her unkempt appearance even back then made people keep their distance. People, _unnerved by a child_. It's laughable now that she's older and reflecting.

It didn't take long for her to come across the park she now holds near and dear to her heart. The greenery attracted her, mainly the fully bloomed wisteria tree. The color and smell was endearing. She's embarrassed to say she's never seen fish with her own two eyes before that day.

The moment she saw that rippling pond full of many colorful fish sent her into a state of euphoria. Their flowing fins and bright colors, how they made the water ripple and how the sun made their scales sparkle. It was dreamlike. In that moment she forgot about her hunger.

She remembers running up to it in wonderment, passing by a park ranger who was sitting in the grass and about to eat his lunch. Whether it was because she was alone or merely interested in the fish, she doesn't know why that park ranger spoke to her. He stood up and walked over to her, asking a single question.

"Do you like fish?"

She remembers responding with;

"What the heck's a fish?"

That day she learned what fish were, and she learned the park ranger's name. Daichi is his name. He ended up giving her his lunchbox. At the time she didn't know why, but she didn't turn it down. She had to have looked sickly to prompt him to do that.

It must have been around a few months later when she met Shoto. As if it was just yesterday, she can recall how they fed the fish together daily and went on countless adventures. On a few rare occasions, his mother took them to a nearby ice cream stand. She envied his mother, wishing her own was as kind and loving as she.

She had a kind smile and equally kind eyes, but like Shoto's they always had traces of sadness deep within them. It made her sad too. So, she always tried to make them smile at least once whenever they met. She was pretty good at that. Her stupid, childish, and bubbly personality back then could do much more than her current one.

Sometimes she misses that side to her. When she was unaware of things around her and blind to the obvious, it was much easier to be happy. She hardly ever worried, now she worries constantly. She became aware, no longer blinded. She started to want things— _things she couldn't have._ What were those things?

Friendships, happiness, love, and to be a hero… those are some of the things. If she never met Shoto, she's sure she would never have been aware of some of these things. He sparked her hero dream and because of him, she experienced friendship and happiness. That's a feeling she could never forget. However, those things were torn away from her the night Endeavor managed to detain her.

Her and Shoto's friendship fell apart. _Shattered like glass_. That was the moment she was consumed by hatred towards him. Everything was his fault. From the moment she met him, her life slowly started to go downhill. Those seeds he planted within her were the complete opposite of what her parents planted. As a result, she was always battling a war within herself.

After the night her quirk manifested, she met up with her parents. That was the first time she seen such happy expressions on their faces. That was the first time the two of them looked at her with so much love and affection. Yet, those expressions she's been longing to see left her feeling empty. They didn't love her.

 _They only loved her quirk._

Although her quirk wasn't a combination of both of their quirks like they desired, it was even better in their eyes. She was prodigious. Unlike her father who can transform into lightning, she can generate and manipulate it. She can discharge it at will, shoot it out of her fingertips, surf across conductors, increase her speed by channeling it within herself… it was the perfect quirk to surpass her own father, _and kill Endeavor_.

That's right. That was her purpose. She was born and raised to carry out her father's legacy, _to be his successor_. She was to train daily for him and accomplish what he couldn't. She was his. She had to listen or die. Speaking of heroes, expressing her own desires, she knew better than to do that. Eventually, she forgot about such things. Being in the villain world made her forget so many things. Everything was dark.

They raised her to be a villain perfectly. She was led to believe that heroes were the evil in the world and that it was their fault she couldn't live normally. Her parents convinced her that they were being hunted like rats for no reason. She was stupid to believe it.

Every day she trained with her father while her mom watched. He helped her learn to control her quirk. She was doing everything perfectly and improving at a fast rate. Her training was rigorous, but he never pushed her too hard. Whenever she grew exhausted he let her rest and cared for her, _like a pet_. But, like an obedient pet, she loved him. She was unbelievably foolish. So, very, _foolish_.

Soon enough, the moment she was waiting for finally arrived. She was finally able to go outside with her parents and help them like she originally wanted. That night, she committed her first real crime. It wasn't anything she imagined. Nothing could have prepared her for it. Her father did most of the work, but he made her do the dirtiest part. That scene haunts her.

Beaten and bloodied, quivering on the concrete ground. A man was casually walking the streets, on his way home from work before her father attacked. Once he was beaten to the point he couldn't move, her father handed her a knife and said;

"Kill him."

She remembers just standing there, completely confused. Why did she have to kill that man? Why did he have to die at all? What… _what was she doing?_ She had to do it though, because it was what her father wanted. This was the only way she could grow stronger to carry out his wish to end Endeavor.

She walked over to the man, gripping the knife tightly with both hands. It was raised over her head, glistening in the dark. She knew had to bring the knife down. She had to hurry, because her father was already walking away. He did that a lot. She was always quick to follow him, but she wasn't able to do it at that time. She couldn't bring the knife down. The dying man pleaded to her.

"Please… kill me… p-please…"

That man was looking at her desperately, _hopefully_ , like she would save him somehow by killing him. She didn't understand. There were tears streaming down her face and she shook her head. He whispered again, only this time with a smile.

"H-help me…"

Those words were what made her bring the knife down and into his flesh. It felt disgusting. She felt disgusting. But, despite that, she found herself doing that same atrocious act, _over and over again._

She was only doing what she was told. This is what she wanted, _to help her parents_. This is the only way she could get them to acknowledge her. She's grown used to following their orders. Taking lives, committing these many crimes, it was normal for her. She received many awards for her actions. She was becoming the best daughter.

Her parents were finally starting to love her as a person. She was happy with what she was doing. Those hurt people always cried out for her help, so she helped them with her father's knife. She was doing the right thing, that's what she truly believed. At the time, wrong was right to her, and right was wrong. She was being brainwashed and she didn't even know it.

Soon, she was able to act on her own. She didn't need her parents orders to commit crimes anymore. She was able to do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. The amount of people she killed is unknown to her even now. However, she knows that number is far too big.

The last innocent person she remembers killing was different than the rest. This woman didn't cry out or plead to her, they only sympathized with her. She can easily remember their words and wrinkled face.

"I pity you, child. Going around taking lives and hurting so many, how could you live with yourself? You must not know what it's like to lose someone precious to you. You must have never experienced true pain. I pray that you experience these things. I pray that you live a long life—"

"You're being too loud. Shut up."

She cut that poor old woman off with those icy words, and made her scream in agony with her lightning. The life left that woman in an instant and she grinned wickedly, until she heard someone approaching from behind.

She was trapped in a corner. Turquoise eyes glared at her and she glared right back, gripping her bloodied knife tightly. His flames were even brighter at night. He called her beastly. He had some nerve to say that. Yet, he wasn't wrong.

"Endeavor…" She remembers laughing and twirling her knife, her eyes hazy as she grins. "You made this so much easier. I don't have to find you. I'll kill you now. Like my daddy wants. Like my mommy wants, too. Stay still for me!"

He gave her a strange, disgusted look as she ran forward. In an instant, he disarmed and restrained her. She tried to use her quirk but for some reason it wouldn't come out. She couldn't move at all. That was the first time she was ever frozen in fear. She kicked and screamed, begged for her life. It was a pathetic display and he made sure she knew that.

"A murderer like you begging for their own life is laughable. You're living in a false reality. If you continue on like this, there will be no future for you."

Like the idiot she was, she spat and cursed at him. Then, he left her there. All alone in the pouring rain. He spared her life and didn't take her into custody. That despicable man who was always hunting down her family spared her. For the first time in a long time, she thought of Shoto.

It wasn't until a few days later when she came across an interesting scene. It was a scene she would normally be involved in. She merely stared from afar and watched as a villain had a woman and child cornered. He was robbing them and was soon to kill them. She turned to walk away until the woman noticed her.

"Get away from here! H-Hurry! Run, or he'll get you too...!"

This woman, a complete stranger, was telling her to run. She was concerned for _her_ safety. She only continued to stare at the sobbing woman, and the villain turned around and looked at her. Of course, the villain knew just who she was and continued with his malicious acts, unworried. She was a villain just like he was.

"Don't you touch my daughter! No!" The woman cried out as the villain grabbed her young daughter with a nasty smile. Like the protective mother she was, she fought desperately to save her daughter, but it was futile. "N-No! God, someone, help, p-please…! Save us!"

 _This was the first time she saved someone_.

She can't recall what she was thinking at the time. If she's being honest, she doesn't think she thought of anything. Her body moved on its own. She crept up behind the villain as silent as a stalking cat, and jabbed her knife deeply into his side.

"What the hell are you doing?!" The villain roared, and her eyes enlarged. That was a good question and she didn't know the answer to it. She was caught in a trance even when he turned and backhanded her across the face.

She fell backwards, landing on her bottom. The villain fell too, his fatal wound already suffocating the life out of him. Her entire body trembled, and she froze entirely when that woman called her something. It was the one thing she was told she couldn't be, but what she wanted to be. It was something she forgot in the shadowy world she was trapped in.

 _A hero?_

Something in her snapped. Or, perhaps a better way to describe it would be melted. _No_ , not that either. _Shed._ This is the only time you'll ever catch her comparing her existence to a bug. Like a cicada, she burst out of the shell she was trapped in—the shell her parents molded around her.

As a result, she went home earlier than usual that night. She went straight into her room, closed the door behind her, and stared off into space. She was fully aware of everything she's done. The feeling of her knife tearing into many different kinds of flesh, so many lifeless eyes and fearful expressions, she remembered it all. All of those things were trivial when she committed those crimes, _but in that moment…_

She screamed at the top of her lungs and knocked everything off her desk, threw her lamp at the wall, flung her bed sheets to the ground, _then found she the koi keychain Shoto gifted to her_. It calmed her down, but made her wonder how disgusted he would be with her now. She was starting to remember how to feel again. She missed him.

Time continued to roll by, and she started to become lazy and uninspired. Remorse was eating away at her. If emotions could kill, she would've been dead. Her father grew concerned about her and questioned what was eating away at her. So, she asked him;

"Why do we do what we do?"

He answered;

"To get back at the heroes who ruined our lives, such as that rotten Endeavor."

It was an interesting answer. So, she asked another question.

"What makes a person rotten?"

"Those who meddle when not needed."

Yet another interesting answer.

"Then, aren't we rotten too? We kill people and they don't even ask for it. Good guys and bad guys, aren't we considered the bad ones?"

"For people like us, murderers, there's no such thing as good or bad. Taru, are you having doubts?"

"No. If there's no such thing as good or bad, that makes things even more fun~!"

That was the first time she lied to her father. She was having doubts. Major doubts. After escaping from the shell she was trapped in, her mind has been swarming with all kinds of thoughts.

For the first time, she didn't believe her father's words. They didn't make sense to her. What he views as right and wrong, it's all circumstantial. This entire time, was he truly making excuses for doing such cruel acts? And she was stupid enough to believe him? She was starting to get angry.

She was wavering back and forth, like a teeter totter. Her father's beliefs never matched up with her own. Are her beliefs circumstantial too? Is that the case with all beliefs? But, the real question is, what beliefs are most praiseworthy.

However, she couldn't ask her parents that. They would just tell them their beliefs which is all she's ever known and lived by. They would just feed her more lies, and everything was somehow tied to Endeavor.

Endeavor this. Endeavor that. He ruined their lives and as a result they are constantly moving and only active at night. What was the big deal with Endeavor? Why did Endeavor spare her? Why did Endeavor… _make Shoto cry?_ He was supposed to be a hero, right? Heroes are supposed to be the greatest.

One night she walked brazenly into a luxurious skyscraper. It was Endeavor's Hero Agency. She went over to the counter and demanded to see Endeavor. The secretary tried to tell her she needed an appointment, _until she threw a fit and flashed her quirk_. It wasn't long at all until she was face to face with the 'rotten' hero.

She sat in his office and he towered over her. Their eyes glared at each other and his flames danced in the air. She slowly raised her finger and pointed at him, and he was ready to take her attack down. However, she attacked with words rather than her quirk like he thought.

"What makes a person rotten?"

He answered;

"Those who lie and deliberately harm others for fun. Villains are a prime example." His eyes narrowed, and her pointing finger dropped.

His response was much more comprehensible than her father's. That's when she understood that everyone's beliefs are merely what they think the truth to be. Sometimes supposed truths aren't how things are or what's meant to be. Endeavor brought her out of her thoughts with a question of his own.

"What do you think makes a person rotten?"

Ah, she was exactly right. _What did she think?_ She was never asked what she thought. What did she believe the truth to be? She became fully aware that everyone in this world is a self-absorbed idiot in this moment. Good and bad, they clearly exist. Villains and heroes are proof of that. But, everyone views good and bad differently. Some ignore it, some have the two mixed up, while others seem to have it all figured out. She's part of the latter.

Rotten people are the ones who lie and toy with lives. Those who are unjust and force their beliefs on others. Those who pressure their own children to carry out their own desires. Those who view bad as good, and good as bad. Those who live… _in a false reality_. Oh. That's what Endeavor told her before. As if sensing that, he asked;

"Have you awoken yet?"

She started to waver when Endeavor spared her. He knew exactly what he was doing. Did he sense that she was incapable as a villain? Was he trying to take advantage of that and use her? Or, _was he genuinely trying to save her?_ Thinking back on it now, she can confidently say he was trying to do all of the above.

 _Why did he have to be the one to make her crumble?_

He was the one she had to kill. He was the one who made Shoto cry. He was the one she was supposed to hate. Now she's indebted to him. If he didn't let her live that night, say those words to her, or show her a rather dry kindness by answering her question, surely she wouldn't be here right now.

 _Why is that rotten man such a commendable hero?_

They exchanged some more words. He told her of the hero world, the complete opposite of what the villain world she knew. The hero world felt so familiar to her. It was like she was being reunited with an old friend. Shoto and Daichi were part of that world. That was the world she wanted to be a part of. That world was the better one. She became angry, _and so very sad._ Tears streamed down her face, and she didn't even care. He deserved them.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"What will you do now?"

"I'm going to go home now. You can follow me if you want. You're a good hero, and I hope that you're a good father too. Shoto's lucky."

He smirked in accomplishment, and she walked home slowly that night, knowing she was being followed, knowing that her parents would be punished tonight, and knowing that she'll be all alone after tonight. She'll get her revenge.

They ruined her. They lied to her. She stupidly believed them. Because of them, she lost Shoto as a friend. Because of them, her hands are bloodied. She became a disgusting person tainted with so many sins, _sins that are irredeemable_.

She led Endeavor right to her home in secret. Just like that night years ago, her life forever changed once again. This was the right choice. That's what she believed. When Endeavor arrived at her home, _she was so regretful_.

Her mother was being held back by Endeavor's sidekick, while her father fought against Endeavor himself. She stood in the shadows and watched, her blood ice cold. For a moment, it looked like her father had the upper hand. He got cocky and let lowered his guard, _then he was swallowed by flames._

She was an idiot. She doesn't know why she thought she would feel satisfaction at her father's defeat. Because, despite everything, seeing him in pain made her let out a bloodcurdling scream. She was feeling the pain of loss, and it made her nauseous knowing she caused this pain for so many. She tried to get to him, but her mother took her and ran at her father's command. Her father protected her even then.

That would be the last time she's seen her father in years. She thought he was dead. Her mom thought he was dead. Her mother was livid. She tossed her to the ground and screeched.

"You lead him right to us… Taru you rat!"

Her mother was always right when it came to her. She doubted her always, knowing she was a failure since the very beginning. That night, her mother pulled out a knife, _and she was punished like her father._

For the next couple years, she lived separately from her mother. She lied low and stayed off the criminal radar. She often spent the night with Dabi, that lazy and boring villain. She was lazy and boring too, so they tolerated each other well and exchanged very few words.

She started feeding the fish again and talked to Daichi. She carried around her koi keychain and wished to meet Shoto again. She wanted to apologize to him, tell him he was right about villains, thank him for being the one to introduce her to the hero world, _and be his friend again_. With her father gone, and how her mother abandoned her, she could do just that. Well, only if her father was truly dead, _she could've done that_.

Her father found her. She thought he was a ghost, but the severe burn scars on his face told her otherwise. She started crying. Not because of relief or remorse, _but fear_. He started expressing his plans to her right away, completely unaware of the fact that it was because of her that he almost died.

He was more determined than ever, and the father she knew him as was long gone. He was so hooked on revenge that he abandoned that roll. It didn't take long for her to become trapped in that dark shell again, only this time, that shell was transparent. It was cracked and weak.

"You need to train harder than ever before, Taru. Look at these scars, make Endeavor pay for what he's done. We'll make his son pay for the pain he caused you, too. Remember his betrayal. Remember that night! You'll kill them and fulfill my wish!"

He was trying to plant more seeds of lies in her… _not like it mattered anymore_. She was able to think for herself now. She had her own beliefs and wants. Never will she be used by him again. She won't let him ruin her life further or take away anything else. She won't let him hurt anyone else, _especially Shoto_. When he mentioned her dear old friend, she became hooked on her own revenge.

 _Delusional bastard._

"Of course." She lied.

•○●○•

"I was their tool from the beginning, and like a tool they used me to screw in their heinous bolts. I grew to hate them through the evil acts I performed and regret. I was completely brainwashed. If it wasn't for Shoto, Daichi, and Endeavor, I probably would've never seen the light, or gathered the courage to stand against them." Hotaru murmurs. "When I enrolled here my main goal was to just get revenge on my parents. But, when I met Shoto again here, things got complicated. I had to work harder to protect him. Nothing turned out how I thought it would. My plan was… poorly put together. That pretty much sums it up."

Currently, she's fiddling with the cup of pens on Aizawa's desk. Some of them are pointing skywards and uncapped, so she takes the time to flip them over. It would be disappointing if he went to grab a pen and ended up marking himself. This task also serves as a great distraction from the multiple eyes boring into her.

"Anyways, I tried to keep this story as short as possible since it's so long and boring, not to mention tiresome to even think about. Betrayal, deceit, and my own stupidity..." She sighs, grabbing a pen and doodling on a blank sheet of paper. "Yeah. Well, it's not as bad as you guys probably thought, right?"

She waits for their response as she draws a simple smiley face on the white sheet. It's quiet even as she starts to draw another face. Blinking, she looks away from the piece of paper and at her teachers.

"It doesn't get any worse than that…" All Might's cousin whispers, his fingers curled tightly into his baggy pants and he stares harshly at the ground.

"I'm sure other people out there had it worse. Don't worry too much." She replies, setting the pen down and spinning around in her rolling chair. "Besides, I wanted to help them. The things I did were done willingly. I'm just as bad as they are."

"No." All Might's cousin instantly disagrees, his eyes meeting hers. "Young Aihara, please don't think that you've done those things willingly."

"Even so, it doesn't change the fact that I've done those things." She retorts. "I let myself be brainwashed and I was stupid enough to believe every word they said. I completely lost against them."

"You were a victim. You didn't let yourself be brainwashed, everything was forced upon you. Whether you win or lose, you can always come out ahead by learning from the experience. You've learned and overcome. You were able to escape from their clutches. To be able to do such things isn't an easy task, and that makes you nothing but the victor." All Might's cousin informs.

Hotaru looks away from him with much effort. She stares out the window and focuses on a blue bird perched on a tree. It ruffles up its feathers before flying off. She lets out a sigh, finding herself thinking very much differently than All Might's cousin.

"You're right. I learned, but I learned in the most gruesome way. I overcome, but I lost so much along the way. Maybe I did win as you said, but to me a win that resulted in me losing so much and me causing so much pain, well, it's meaningless. A meaningless win is no better than a loss." She argues.

"Aren't you just being hard on yourself at this point?" Midnight mutters, a troubled crease in her brow.

"Yeah—!" Present Mic starts to yell, until Aizawa speaks up.

"No." He disagrees in his sleepy voice. "Even though she's a victim, that doesn't simply erase the things she's done."

"Aizawa-kun—!" All Might's cousin begins in dread.

"Exactly." Hotaru cuts him off.

She stands from her chair and walks over to the large window. Her silver eyes take in how the many green trees dance in the breeze. Aizawa's words are exactly what she was thinking. Her lips curve upwards sadly. It's the unfortunate truth, and she's grateful for his straightforward personality. She has to be nothing but harsh on herself.

"I appreciate everyone's input, but Aizawa-sensei couldn't have said it better. What's done is done, and the past can't be undone." She says. However, she's caught off-guard when Aizawa adds on to his earlier words.

"Are you being hard on yourself for the right reasons?"

She turns away from the window and faces Aizawa with parted lips. The organ in her chest beats anxiously as she feels troubled. What is he implying? Is she doing something wrong? A crease forms in her brow.

"What do you mean?" She whispers in question, and of course the bell rings instantly after. Class is about to start, which means she has to leave. Aizawa turns away from her and focuses on his desktop, making her eyes narrow.

One thing that does annoy her about Aizawa is his tendency to leave some of her questions unanswered. It's just like after the combat training. He's leaving her with more questions and not giving her any answers. She's not going to go through that again.

"You are _not_ going to leave me unanswered again." She glares at him, stomping over. "Answer me. Isn't it a hero's job to help someone in need? I'm in need of some answers here!"

"Sometimes you need to find the answers yourself. I'm not going to simply tell you what you should think or do. At this point I'm not being a hero, but rather a babysitter." He dismisses, and her jaw drops.

"A babysitter?" She repeats, her hair falling over her eyes. Is he calling her a baby? She feels insulted. "You know what. Fine. Answer this then; now that you know my story, does someone like me have the right to be a hero?"

He remains silent, not even looking her way. Her fingers curl into tight fists and her teeth grit. The anger she feels reflects in her eyes and she moves so she's in his line of sight. Midnight and Present Mic give her a chiding look at her villainous poise, while All Might's cousin coughs blood.

"Aizawa-sensei," She begins sharply. "I'm not going to class until you—"

Aizawa shoots her a glare with glowing red eyes, and before anyone can blink, Hotaru darts out of the room in fright. Present Mic follows after Hotaru, realizing the class that's about to start is the class he teaches. All Might adjusts the collar of his shirt with a sigh, looking at Aizawa with a small frown.

"You really won't answer her questions?" He asks.

"She has a lot of burdens, and she's also holding onto burdens that aren't her own." Aizawa mutters.

"Are you saying she takes the blame for…?" Midnight trails off, and Aizawa nods.

"I see." All Might's eyes widen in realization. "And because of those burdens, she's wondering if she can even become a hero." He frowns. "But, she's done a lot of admirable things too. Has she forgotten them? Or, is she viewing them as nothing?"

"If she's still doubting herself even now after everything, that's something she has to deal with." Aizawa sighs. "Either way, she'll figure it out and come to terms with herself eventually."

"You're so cold, Aizawa-kun!" All Might trembles, and Aizawa's eyes shut.

He doesn't think he's being cold, he just doesn't think he should keep having to put the puzzle together for her, especially this one. He told her once before she wasn't hopeless, he told her just earlier he was proud of her. What's the point of saying more things along those lines if she doesn't believe in herself?

•○●○•

For the remainder of that day, Hotaru is hopelessly lost in thought. She thought telling those heroes her story would help her organize her thoughts, not make them more scattered. How disappointing. She completely miscalculated.

Her last class is almost over, which is the Foundational Hero Studies class. This was supposed to be her favorite class of the day, but today's class could hardly be qualified as one. All Might didn't even show up, but Present Mic gave them a worksheet in his place and said they could spend the remainder of the day preparing for the sports festival.

Currently, she's the only one sitting in the room. Everyone else is supposedly out training really hard and taking advantage of on-campus locations to do just that. She should probably be doing that as well, _but…_

She stares at her opened notebook on her desk, tapping her pencil against it with a small frown. Her handwriting is scribbled across the lined paper. She was making a list of things to do before the sports festival, only to end up drawing a giant "x" across the whole list.

The purpose of the whole sports festival is to stand out for the pros. It's like standing in front of a fish tank. Naturally the customer is going to pick out the best-looking fish, and she's not that fish. She's that fish that swims upside down and acts all weird— _the fish that nobody wants._

What hero would want her as a sidekick? An ex-villain who happens to be the daughter of Lightning Beast and Two-Face? A person with bloodied hands? The answer is simple; nobody will accept her. Her frustration starts to overflow. She was so determined earlier, now she's the opposite.

"This is all your fault, Aizawa-sensei." She grumbles. "Always making me… think for myself."

Saying that out-loud doesn't sound like it's too awful, and the muscle in her right eye twitches in irritation. _It is awful_. She thinks for herself all the time, and she only asks for his input on things she doesn't know the answer to. How dare he compare helping her to babysitting? Where's All Might? She wants to talk to him.

She wants to be a hero, but how could she possibly be one? Her sins and her parents' sins are somehow more heavier than before. Is it because she switched sides? What if everything is pointless? That cicada from earlier is still stuck to the window and its singing is still mocking her.

With a scowl, she grabs her notebook and flings it across the room. It hits the chalkboard with a bang right when Shoto walks in. He stands in the doorway with a blank expression, watching as Hotaru slumps forward against her desk. Her hair falls over her face as she groans and kicks her legs.

 _What a grouch._

He moves to step over her notebook to get to his locker, only to pause when something written on it catches his attention. It's his name on what appears to be a to-do list. " _Thank Shoto."_ That's what's written on the very last line.

Thank him? He suddenly recalls their earlier conversation, and how she told him that she'll let him figure out why he's thankful. He claimed figuring it out sounded like a waste of time, but he already has a strong idea as to why she's thankful. Coming up with the answer was so effortless he didn't even have to think about it. Nevertheless, he really doesn't care.

"Aihara-san."

Hotaru looks up when someone says her name, and she nearly falls backwards at the beady eyes before her. He laughs in amusement and she brings her hand over her startled heart.

"Principle Nezu," She breathes out before narrowing her eyes. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

Just then, she notices that he's not the only one who entered the room. Shoto moves past them both to get to his locker. She only spares him the shortest of glances. It must be time to go home soon.

"I'm happy you're here." Nezu smiles, bringing his paws together. "Are you ready for your assignment?"

"My… assignment?" She tilts her head, furrowing her brows. "Isn't it almost time to go?"

"I should've known you have forgotten." Nezu sighs, shaking his head.

"Forgotten what?"

"Your detention."

"Oh."

She really has completely forgotten about her detention. The last few days have been completely insane that it has slipped her mind. How many detentions has she racked up? A week's worth? Her eyes enlarge. _Wait_. This detention will be taking up the already insufficient time she has before the sports festival. Suddenly, she wants to ram her head against the wall for her stupid actions that resulted in the punishment.

"Did you get my letter?" Nezu questions.

"Do you mean that map of school grounds?" She mutters, pulling that map out of her pocket. He nods and takes it from her.

He unfolds it with his adorable—no. He unfolds it with his ordinary paws. She watches silently and in confusion when he pulls out a highlighter and draws out a route. It's very long. Clearly this must be related to her assignment, and she's more than certain that this will be the strangest detention she has ever had.

"Here you go. This is the route you need to pick up trash along."

Pick up… _trash?_

"Hold on a second." She begins with a glare. "What kind of detention is this? I'm _not_ a janitor."

Nezu doesn't say anything and merely smiles at her. It isn't a friendly smile, but one capable of making her grow pale. The sun from the window suddenly makes him look like a shadow, and she finds herself having a moment of déja vu. This is the same expression he wore when he threatened her with expulsion.

"I-I mean…" She swallows forcefully. "I love cleaning. I really live for these kind of things. I'll get to work right away."

"I'm happy to hear that, Aihara-san!" His eerie smile morphs into a happy one.

Shoto moves to leave the classroom with his bag, and Hotaru darts past him swiftly to escape from Nezu's intimidating gaze. The map in her hand is wrinkled from her tight grip and he looks off to the side.

 _What a pushover._

•○●○•

Hotaru walks down one of the many walkways on campus with a frown, dragging around a trash bag and holding onto a trash picker. Being stuck doing this is frustrating. However, what's even more frustrating is the fact that there's quite a bit of litter scattered about.

Are the aspiring heroes here really so irresponsible that they litter? She hopes the wind carried all this junk over from the city, but honestly that's no better. How could people just fling their trash around wherever they please? Is it really that hard to hold onto waste until they reach a trash can?

She picks up an empty soda can and places it in the large trash bag, moving to pick up some more litter she easily spots. How disappointing and utterly disgusting. These people responsible for this better hope they aren't caught in the act by her. They can expect to get an earful, and maybe even a good shock.

As she carries out this assignment golden hour approaches. The cool blue of the sky starts to morph into something warmer and the breeze becomes more apparent. She hardly pays attention to the beautiful scenery, too lost in thought once again.

Aizawa's words are on repeat in her mind, and she's trying desperately to put the pieces together to figure out the answer. She's unsuccessful and only having the same thoughts as earlier.

She sighs in frustration, dragging her feet from behind the school building all the way to the front. It's safe to say she's been walking around for around a couple hours now, and the bag she's pulling behind her has grown heavy. She's tired and she didn't even get halfway done with the route Nezu has drawn out.

"This is so exhausting." She breathes out, wiping sweat from her brow and gazing at the glistening ocean in the distance. She hopes that Nezu didn't expect her to get done with all of this by nighttime, and she hopes she doesn't get punished further for taking a break.

Placing the heavy bag of trash and her trash pick aside, she sits down on the brick pavement. She leans back on the heels of her hands and tilts her head skywards, soaking in the evening sun. It's insane how out of shape she is. She definitely needs to start training tomorrow, not just for the sports festival, but for herself.

She gazes at the peachy colored clouds and the breeze ruffles up her hair. There's no one but herself out here and it's quite enjoyable. Her fingers glide across the hard ground and she looks over at the sleek school building. She shouldn't lounge around for long. With those countless windows, she's sure she'll be spotted sooner or later.

As if on cue, she hears approaching footsteps. They are growing louder by the second as they grow closer, and she doesn't even need to look to know this person is heading her way. It has to be either Mineta or Kaminari judging from the direction. Her lips curve upwards and she looks over rather happily, only to nearly choke at who's really approaching her.

She stands up quickly, her smile fading instantly as she becomes guarded. Her jaw locks. Why is he here and heading this way? Realization dawns on her. _The news broadcast_. The whole country knows she's a student here, so it's only natural he would know too.

He comes to a stop before her, his much larger form towering over her. This is the first time she's seeing him face to face like this in a long time. He's been hunting her down for so long and now he's finally found her. She can't run and has no choice but to face him.

"Endeavor." She greets monotonously, folding her arms over her chest. "What brings you here? Campus is about to close for the night."

"You know why I'm here." He counters heatedly, and she lowers her arms.

If she's being honest, yeah. She does have a pretty good idea as to why he's here. He either wants to take her into custody or question her. She's sure he's very agitated about how her father is alive.

"It's about my father, right?" She whispers, gripping her skirt tightly.

"What you're plotting next." He corrects, and her eyes enlarge. He's glaring intensely at her and it makes her tremble the tiniest bit.

"What I'm plotting next?" She repeats, shaking her head in denial. "I'm not plotting anything."

"Was it your goal to make me look like an incompetent hero by faking your father's death?" He speaks harshly, and she grows pale.

Does he truly think she set him up back then? Her breath gets caught in her throat. Perhaps it really does appear that way, especially since she kept her mouth shut about her father still being among the living. However, she never meant things to turn out the way they did. She didn't mean to tarnish his reputation.

"That wasn't my intention." She whispers, and he counters instantly.

"Then why did you keep your mouth shut about it?"

She swallows thickly and redirects her gaze at the ground. Her nerves have skyrocketed and as a result she can't find her voice. She knows the answer to that question, and even if she could find her voice she's sure she can't bring herself to say it.

"Hmph." He grunts in amusement, smirking. "I guess it's partially my fault for listening to a villain."

"N-No." She disagrees with him. "I didn't speak up because I was scared. I thought I would be able to handle things myself, but clearly I was wrong. What happened at U.S.J. is proof of that."

"I have no reason to believe you."

"Then why ask?" She retorts, and his flames grow more intense.

"Because, even though this school has foolishly accepted you, you're still a suspect and I have the right to investigate. You're the daughter of that bastard villain. I believe you still have malicious intentions, and warning you is only one of the reasons I came here." He takes an intimidating step closer to her.

"I have already been warned countless times by the staff here, but, sure." She shifts her weight, having a hard time meeting his eyes once more. "Go ahead."

"If you touch Shoto or interfere with his studies, you'll severely regret it."

Little does he know… _she's already touched and talked to him_. She doesn't say that even though she knows that'll send him over the edge. She's too troubled. Clearly he thinks she's going to do something bad, and it's obvious he thinks she's going to harm Shoto. Does he not know how she saved Shoto, and how Shoto saved her?

"You don't need to worry about that." She says, feeling her anger starting to build up. "I'm not a villain anymore and I'm not here to cause any trouble. I'm here to become a hero. But, of course you don't believe that."

"A hero?" He repeats, having the nerve to chuckle. "Well, your father sure did a poor job at raising one. Not that I would expect him to be a good father regardless of his intentions."

Something in her snaps, and she's suddenly able to meet his eyes once more with a piercing glare. What gives him the right to say such a thing? He doesn't know anything. She knows her old man is an evil villain, _but as a father…_

Silver clashes against turquoise. His flames match the golden sky, and her expression matches the approaching dark night. Her nails are digging into her palms and she's trembling furiously. It's taking everything in her to not lunge at this man.

"You can say whatever you want regarding how evil of a villain my old man is. That's something you and I can both agree on. But, I don't think you have the right to judge his worth as a father. In fact, I bet you could've learned a lot from him. Don't you dare talk as if you are the best dad in the world. I'm not dumb. I may not know the details, but after seeing Shoto all these years later," Her teeth bare. "You're the worst possible man a child could have as a father."

"Right, you don't know the details. So, neither do you, _a villain_ , have the right to judge my worth."

"Endeavor...!" She growls lowly, lightning forming in her palm. "You don't know the details either, so neither do you have the right! You're really starting to piss me off. What the hell do you really want? Or, did you just come here to provoke me?! If you're looking for a fight all you have to do is say so!"

He just stands there, gazing at her with a stupid smirk on his face like he's truly amused at her outburst. Oh, _this brute_. She wants to shock that smirk off of his face, but she already let herself slip too far. If she does anything to him she'll be ruining her already poor reputation. She needs to get it together, because clearly this is exactly what he wants.

She diminishes her lightning while holding her breath, counting to the number ten in her head. Her anger starts to quell although very slowly. If she compared Shoto to a gnat and herself to a cicada, Endeavor's a mosquito. A stupid, annoying, provoking, _mosquito_.

"What's going on out here?"

Hotaru looks over, and her eyes instantly glisten at the sight of Aizawa. He's standing there, looking between her and Endeavor leisurely. It's impossible to tell what kind of expression he's wearing due to his bandages, _but…_ His eyes lock with hers and she gulps at their chiding glare.

"I came out here because of a virulent intent." Aizawa states, and she inwardly smacks herself. Was she showing her villain side? The side of her that she can't seem to get rid of?

"I'm here to question her about her father and herself. This is a case I've been trying to crack for years now. Perhaps I would have succeeded already if someone would stop resisting arrest." Endeavor points at her, and sweat trickles down her face.

"Then, shall we head inside? We can talk in the conference room." Nezu's voice suddenly joins in, and he reveals himself from Aizawa's scarf. Endeavor's eyes narrow, obviously against that. So, Nezu adds on. "Aihara-san is a student at U.A. and our responsibility. We released an official statement of her enrollment this morning and have been in contact with law enforcement. We are just as much involved in this case as you are."

"Tsk. Fine." Endeavor grunts, and Nezu smiles before looking at Hotaru.

"Before we head inside, Aihara-san." Nezu begins and her jaw locks. "You should apologize to Endeavor for nearly attacking him. You should respect pro heroes."

Her tempestuous silver eyes linger on Nezu for a few seconds before finally looking over at Endeavor. He's gazing at her straight-faced and waiting. However, it's quite obvious he wants to smirk. _Very well_. She'll apologize only for her own benefit.

She faces Endeavor and walks closer to him. Her eyelids drape over her eyes and she bows lowly with her hands clasped together. She'll use this opportunity sensibly.

"Endeavor," She begins delicately. "I apologize for misbehaving. Next time you insult my father, tell me who I can and can't talk to, and who I can and can't be like _you're_ my father, I will hold my tongue." She straightens up with a smile. "I hope you can forgive me, _hero_."

Endeavor glares at her.

 _That infuriating girl!_

Even in the conference room, he still continues to glare at her. This is his first time seeing her in person for years. She still has that villainous demeanor, but there is something different too. She's far more cunning, _but what else is he detecting?_ There's no way this wicked villain is actually trying to be a hero. With her bloodied hands, her being a hero would be nothing but disgraceful.

She's up to something, and he has a strong feeling that something has to do with Shoto. His fingers curl into tight fists. If she tries anything at all, he'll make sure she regrets it. But, more importantly, _why are these blasted teachers allowing her to attend this school?!_

"Firstly," Endeavor begins, gazing at Hotaru from across the wooden table. She's sitting between Aizawa and Nezu, her taunting eyes gazing right back at him. "Have you been in contact with either of your parents?"

"No." She answers smoothly. "I haven't been able to contact either of my parents since I turned on them. My calls don't go through, and I don't have the slightest idea where they could be."

"Turned on them?" He inquires with narrowed eyes. Clearly he doesn't know about something major. "Explain."

"As you know the League of Villains attempted to kill All Might, which was the U.S.J. incident. My parents were in on it and wanted me to leak All Might's schedule, and I refused."

"Is that why you enrolled here? Because of All Might?"

"Honestly, I enrolled here without knowing why. I was kept in the dark. I could only assume. I was raised to kill you, so I figured it has something to do with you. When I enrolled here I met Shoto again, and that's when I started to suspect that he was a target. Turns out he was. My father asked me if he was a student here, and for Shoto's safety I lied and said 'no.'"

Endeavor's eyes widen at that. Lightning Beast and Two-Face had plans to target his son? _His masterpiece?_ His teeth bare at that thought. Shoto was in danger and he didn't even know. _This villain was protecting him?_ Impossible. She's answering his questions too easily, and he can't determine if she's lying or not.

"Why didn't you report this to the pros?"

"Like I said earlier, I was scared for my own life. I knew leaking information and lying to my parents would make them want to kill me. It took some time before I could gather the courage to cast that fear aside, and do what was right regardless of whatever would happen to me." She folds her arms over her chest.

Do what was right? What would this murderer know about right and wrong? He can't accept her words so easily.

"Are you sure it wasn't because you wanted to kill him yourself?" He questions with dark eyes.

Hotaru's complexion instantly grows pale, her irises shrinking while her lips part. He smirks to himself in accomplishment. _He got her._ There would be no reason for her to react like that if that thought had never crossed her mind. She's like a deer caught in headlights right now.

She lowers her eyelids, and a shadow is cast over her face. Aizawa and Nezu look at her skeptically, and her fingers grips at her blazar. She lets out an inaudible sigh.

"When I came here, I didn't have the best intentions. I was prepared to do whatever my parents asked of me, and I was prepared to betray them too, but when I seen Shoto it wasn't so simple anymore. I _never_ had thoughts of killing him. However, I thought of hurting him multiple times." She admits. "I hated him, and he hated me too."

Endeavor's sense of triumph starts to grow as she speaks. _Now she's being honest_.

"But, I could never hurt him when the opportunity came. Even during our combat training, it was hard for me to fight against him." She adds on, making his thoughts come to a halt. "Ugh, I can't believe I'm saying this out loud, and to you of all people."

Her eyes reopen and stare into his seriously. They shine vigorously and sincerely, and her cheeks are rose dusted in what seems to be embarrassment. Confusion washes over him.

"I care about Shoto, and… that's all I'm going to say." She states, and his glare returns. "I will only go into more depth with Shoto personally."

"You are not to talk to Shoto!" He growls, standing up from his chair instantly. "I don't want my son to be involved with a revolting villain!"

Hotaru's eyes narrow the tiniest bit, and even though she wants to retort she holds her tongue. Despite her honesty and revealing that she was protecting Shoto, he still views her as a villain and wants her to stay away from Shoto.

He'll always view her as a villain just like everyone else because of her regrettable past. He isn't the only one who still views her as a villain. That title will stick around with her forever no matter what she does. It gets to her, and it's frustrating. Since when has she ever cared about people's opinions of her? Is it because in the hero world those opinions matter?

"That's enough." Aizawa suddenly speaks up, his voice scratchy. "I can tolerate your questions, but not you degrading my student. A pro shouldn't act so insolently."

Hotaru looks over at Aizawa with widened eyes. Her heart accelerates within her ribcage at his serious gaze and words. She brings her hand over her chest in her touched state, feeling moisture build up in her eyes as he continues.

"She has answered all of your questions truthfully. Her past is objectionable and can't simply be forgotten, but the heroic acts she's performed can't be forgotten either. She's already done a great deal of praiseworthy things, such as putting her life on the line to save her classmates more than once."

"How do you know she's not putting on an act?" Endeavor instantly counters.

Aizawa's eyes narrow in thought, and he remains silent as tension grows in the room. He's thinking. Goosebumps sprout out across Hotaru's skin as she becomes nervous. Her appendages tremble and she swallows forcefully. Suddenly, he answers, _and she wants to punch him._

"For starters she's a crybaby who overreacts time and again." He answers easily, ignoring Hotaru's glare. "She's the hardest on herself out of all of my students, and I don't think she would've asked me to save her from her own parents if she was truly a 'revolting villain.'"

"That's right." Nezu smiles, nodding in agreement. He reaches over and pats the top of Hotaru's head, making her seethe. "Aihara-san has displayed her natural hero capabilities. She is an outstanding student."

"A reckless problem-child." Aizawa adds on drowsily.

"I believe Aihara-san will become a great hero, which is why I allowed her to enroll." Nezu says confidently. "If you're worried about your son's safety because of her presence, don't be. She is a student just like everyone else, posing no threat."

Endeavor's eyelid twitches in annoyance. How are these two so supportive of her? A villain can't become a hero. No matter how hard villains try to redeem themselves, they always go back to their villainous ways. You can't change who you are. But, _fine_. He's done here. If he stays any longer they'll grow more stupid in his eyes. He looks at Hotaru who has her head lowered so he can't see her face.

"If you come into contact with either of your parents, presumably Lightning Beast, contact me. I'll be sure to end him for sure this time." Endeavor leaves his card on the table after his demand, leaving with heavy steps. The door slams behind him and Aizawa lets out a sigh at his aggressive personality.

"...A crybaby? Why would you tell him that?" Hotaru whispers, making Aizawa look over at her. She's glaring at him with moisture swirling in her eyes.

"It wasn't a lie." He affirms.

"But, still…" She mutters, wiping at her damp lashes. "That's something I don't want people to know."

"Then stop crying so much."

"You are an emotional person, Aihara-san." Nezu says. "It's not a bad thing, so don't be disgruntled."

She can't remember being so emotional like she is now. Is it because she's allowed to feel emotions here? That she's surrounded by people who care about her, and people she cares about too? Whatever it is, it's so potent.

Despite how she is embarrassed by her own tears, it's not too awful. Even though she feels guilty at being a problem-child, if she's Aizawa's problem-child then she doesn't mind it. She finds herself smiling, overly thankful. They had her back, and so easily at that. It makes her realize she absolutely does have the right.

"Thank you for sticking up for me, Sensei and Principle Nezu. Thank you for your honesty, too." She looks over at them with a tender gaze. "I really, _really_ , appreciate you guys a whole lot. You see things in me that I'm struggling to see, and believe in me more than I believe in myself. You saved me."

Aizawa's and Nezu's eyes widen when Hotaru stands from her chair with clenched fists. She's gazing at the ceiling with sparkling eyes, obviously determined. The smile on her face grows in size.

"I'm going to make it my mission to see what you see, and believe in myself like you believe in me. Regardless of what others think, I'm going to work hard to achieve my goals!" She faces them both and holds out her hands to them. "I know I can't erase my past, but I'm going to tip the scales and become a hero so great that it will be overshadowed. Please, watch over me! I'll try my absolute best."

"Yay!" Nezu cheers, placing his adorable paw in her hand. However, Aizawa merely stares at her. _That's right._ As he is now, he can't grab her hand. He's helpless. She smirks and moves closer to him, making him glare as realization dawns on him.

"Don't—"

"Too late!" She beams, capturing him in a hug.

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Reconnect and Connect

❤•○●○•❤

"We're supposed to act like we don't exist, remember?" Hotaru murmurs, gazing at Shoto with a small pout.

"Today, you exist." He states, slurping his cold soba nonchalantly.

She wonders why he would say that, and why he chose to sit at this small lunch table with her. It doesn't particularly bother her, but it's strange. There's no way he's doing this for old times' sake. She looks away from him while sipping her chocolate milk.

"Do you need something?" She mutters, and he pauses from slurping his soba.

"Was it obvious?"

"Completely."


	20. Reconnect and Connect

**Rynxenvy:** aahhh! i think you'll love this chapter! I really enjoyed writing this one. ❤ it was what i was waiting for so long to write. thank you for reading!

 **kirika o7:** ahah omg, thank you so much! your ideas and scenarios are completely mind blowing! they are so good and interesting. i honestly didn't even think of her joining Chisaki but wow, i wonder how that would go if she did lol. thank you so much for sharing, i truly enjoyed reading your review! i'm also happy you are enjoying this story. i'm sure you'll be able to gain motivation to write again soon. sometimes writing can take a bit to do and get into. writers block truly sucks i would know. but, only write when you feel motivated too. ❤ there's also a thing i do when i try to do something i don't feel like doing. I'll force myself work for at least five minutes, and sometimes that's all it takes for me to be truly into what i'm doing. if that doesn't work, i'll just try again later! (* ^ ω ^) hehe, thank you again, i'll be seeing you again with this chapter ! ❤

 **LadyAmazon:** yup, Aizawa is 100% real! haha. i'm happy you enjoy their relationship, bc i enjoy it too. thank you so much for reading. ❤

 **Shinoki:** she really is such a cutie. (´ ∀ ` *) ❤ and yeah me too, definitely. but... i'm sure karma will get him. o.o , ┐(￣∀￣)┌ thank you for reading!

 **lovelyhatter:** and i love that you love it ! ❤ thank you so much for reading!

 **MissLaufeyson97:** ahh, wow, thank you so much! I'm happy you're enjoying it, and i hope you can keep enjoying it. thank you so much for reading. ❤ ヽ(*⌒▽⌒*)ﾉ

 **bbymojo:** definitely! had to end it on a positive note, haha. things have been so intense and dreary, she needed some inspiration ❤ i think you'll like this chapter! please enjoy, and thank you a ton for reading. ❤

•○●○•

 **hello, everyone!**

 **it's been so cold and icy these days where i'm at.**

 **but, i'm really praying for those being affected by these natural disasters that's been happening. fires, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions... it's all very scary and heartbreaking.**

 **no matter where you are, be safe, please.** ❤

•

 **I hope everyone can enjoy this chapter.**

 **this one is definitely one of my most favorite ones yet.**

 **To everyone who's been wanting some more Shotaru ~ !**

 **thank you for reading, and i apologize for any errors!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Reconnect and Connect

❤•○●○•❤

It's a little after sunrise, and the sky is gradually starting to become a bright blue. Birds sing their songs from outside, and the sound of Shoto's older sister doing dishes inside resonates. So far, it's an average morning for Shoto.

He wakes up and takes a shower, gets dressed and has his breakfast, then brushes his teeth before heading off to school. Shoto slides his shoes on and slings his bag over his shoulder, battling a yawn. Before he can leave his house, his father blocks his path.

"Shoto." Endeavor says seriously.

Shoto gazes at him with livid eyes and his jaw grows tight. His lips remained sealed, not caring to respond. Endeavor's eyes narrow in displeasure at his rebellious poise. When will this disobedient side of him fade? He's being childish.

"Why didn't you tell me that villain is a student at your school?" He asks firmly. Shoto stares at him silently for a few seconds before answering.

"You didn't ask."

Endeavor's teeth grit together and his fingers curl into rigid fists. His turquoise eyes glare into his son's, his answer and arrogant tone infuriating him. He folds his arms over his chest, his large muscles bulging.

"Were you trying to protect her just like back then?" He gnarls, and Shoto looks away from him. "Shoto!"

"You're in my way." Shoto bites out.

"Tsk. You should stop being so foolish." Endeavor interjects. "Don't get involved with her. She's scheming and plotting. Whatever front she has on, I'm certain it's a hoax—" The sound of Shoto leaving the house cuts him off, and he roars loudly. "Shotoooo!"

Thanks to his old man, as Shoto walks to the station, he's in a bad mood. His teeth bare slightly. As if he would listen to anything his father has to say. He's going to reject him in all ways possible. His eyes narrow. Hotaru, _maintaining a façade?_

Perhaps before, but not anymore. Even when she was putting up a front, it was transparent. He was just too blinded by his own hatred for her to realize it. The grudge he had towards her was just as intense as the one he had towards his father.

She was protecting him and was being nothing but honest with him. It seems that one thing hasn't changed— _she was always honest_. He doesn't think he will ever understand her, though. Subconsciously, he moves his hand towards his hair, recalling how her fingers ran through the many strands. _She's unpredictable_.

He doesn't think he hates her anymore, but he doesn't like her either. He knew her back then but now it feels like he never really knew her at all. Even though he apologized, he still feels something weighty. It's an almost wistful sensation.

His hand suddenly falls back to his side and he blinks a few times in bewilderment. Just like he can't understand her, he can't understand what he should be feeling towards her. Even inside his own head, she's as enigmatic as she is in person, just like the ever-changing clouds in the sky.

Why's he even thinking so intently about her? She's supposed to be nonexistent to him. His old man's words have really bothered him more than he thought, _and it angers him greatly_. What would he know?

The train ride to school goes smoothly and uneventful. He manages to grab a seat with no one inhabiting the ones next to him, and he stares out the window the entire time. It doesn't take him long at all to arrive at school.

He enters U.A. and heads towards his shoe locker to switch out his footwear. Once he does that, he makes his way towards the stairwell to head to class. He passes by two gossiping female students, his eyes widening a notch at the information he unintentionally picks up.

"Hey, did you see Endeavor yesterday?"

"Yeah. I was so shocked to see him here!"

Shoto slows his pace, straining his ears. His old man was here? What business would he have here of all places?

"Apparently he was talking to that villain from class A. From what I hear, she tried to attack him, and the teachers had to stop her."

"Really?! I don't understand why she's a student here. It makes me feel so uneasy. Have you seen her before?"

"She's so scary… like a zombie!"

Their voices fade away as Shoto grows out of earshot. He suddenly feels troubled and as a result he grows tense. His old man approached Hotaru? And, _she tried to attack him?_ Is that why she was abruptly brought up by him just earlier? What happened between them?

He enters his classroom and out of all of his classmates, Hotaru stands out the most to him. She's sitting at her desk normally and unharmed, holding her phone out to Mineta who takes it greedily.

"I can't believe you want my number, Taru-chan~!" He coos as he drools.

"Is it that big of a deal?" She mutters with pursed lips, her head tilting ever so slightly in confusion. "I just thought it would be convenient to me. Like, let's say I'm absent one day. You can tell me what I missed."

"You trust him to do that?! What if he sends you something completely irrelevant?!" Kaminari cries out, running over to her in panic.

"Mineta is the first friend I made here, so yeah." She instantly declares, suddenly smirking and pointing her index finger at Mineta. Little sparks of lightning decorate her fingertip, adding to her already intimidating expression. "He won't send anything inappropriate, because he knows what'll happen if he does."

"You're the best, Taru-chan." Mineta smiles blissfully, handing her phone back over to her. Before she can take it, Kaminari grabs a hold of it.

"Here," He begins with a frown and tinted cheeks, opening up her contacts. "I'll give you my number too."

"You can have my number too, if you want." Kirishima says with a grin, making his way over to her.

Before Hotaru even knows it, her phone is being passed around the classroom. She stares with wide eyes and parted lips at this unexpected occurrence. She didn't think asking for Mineta's number would result in her getting _everyone's_ number. Warmth suddenly radiates from her cheeks and she brings her hands over her chest.

"I-Is it really okay?" She questions unsurely about getting their contact information, and Yaoyorozu suddenly stands up from her seat with sparkling eyes.

"I have an idea, everyone!" She exclaims happily, making all eyes move to her. "Let's make a group chat."

"That sounds fun!" Hagakure cheers, dancing around the room in approval.

"We can even help each other out with homework!" Ashido beams.

"No." Bakugo objects, his eyes glaring.

"Eh?" Kirishima frowns at Bakugo. "Why not?"

"I don't want you side characters blowing up my phone."

"How dare you call us side characters!" Iida waves his arms at Bakugo.

Hotaru brings her hand over her mouth, unsuccessful in muffling her giggles. Her eyelids lower and her shoulders quiver as she laughs. Bakugo turns around in his seat to glare at her with a popping vein.

"What are you laughing at, Lightning Bastard?!" He yells, tiny explosions erupting in his palm.

Once her laughter dies down, she lowers her hand from her mouth. Her lips are curved upwards, and when her eyes open they hold a playful glint. Her whimsical expression makes nearly everyone gawk, and a sense of familiarity wash over Shoto as he sits at his desk.

"You." She answers, clasping her hands together behind her back and making her way towards him. "How can I be a side character, if you lost to me?"

"W-Wait Aihara-san…!" Midoriya begins in panic as she closes in on the explosive blonde.

"Huh?!" Bakugo stands from his seat and faces her with raging eyes.

Hotaru comes to a stop in front of him, looking up into his eyes seriously. His fists are clenched, and his irises have disappeared in his anger. Not only that, his eyes have grown considerably bigger too. He's even glowing red. It's an interesting and vicious expression. She holds out her hand to him.

"Fight me."

"Heh. You shouldn't be so cocky, Lightning Bastard. I'll kill you!" Bakugo smirks, getting ready to blast her until she makes an appalled face.

"I-I didn't mean right now!" She stutters out, whacking his fist away from her face with a glare. "I'm not trying to get expelled. Let's spar sometime after school, whenever you're free. I have detention for the next week and a half, so it'll have to be sometime after then. I want to make it up to you for not giving it my all against you before."

Her silvery gaze is sincere, and her hand that is being held out to him is inviting as she tries to make amends. Some would find her current appearance bewitching, such as Mineta who's being held back by Kaminari from behind her. However, it only pisses Bakugo off.

Is she saying that even after he persuaded her to not give up during their combat training, she still wasn't giving it her all? His teeth bare and the muscle in his eye twitches as his anger starts to boil over. For that, he's going to give her the most humiliating defeat, _while he rises to the top._

"I'll indisputably crush you…" He begins lowly while slapping her hand aside, making her eyes widen. The coldness in his tone catches her off-guard. It's different from his usual fiery tone. "...At the sports festival."

•○●○•

The day is going by surprisingly quick for Hotaru, and it's lunchtime before she even knows it. She stands in line to get her food while staring blankly ahead and at nothing in particular. Bakugo's earlier words replay in her head, and she stares at her hand he swatted aside.

Honestly, she thought he would be eager to take on her request. He acted much differently than she thought, and she seems to have angered him more. How disappointing. She nearly sighs aloud. She should've just kept quiet and listened to Midoriya's warning. That's what she gets for trying to make amends.

It would've been so much better if they agreed to fight one-on-one with no audience. Now she's going to have to train harder than she originally planned so she's not humiliated on national television. _Oh well_. She's sure going against him someway and somehow during the sports festival is inevitable.

"Aihara-san." An unexpected voice calls out her name. She looks over her shoulder to see Iida in line behind her. Midoriya and Uraraka are with him. She gazes at him a little warily. The two of them aren't exactly on the best terms.

"Yes?" She questions. He points at her with his stiff hands, his fingers extended.

"I misjudged you, and I humbly apologize." He begins sincerely, his facial expression almost implying that saying this is painful. "I was completely blind. Please, forgive me!"

He bows lowly and at a perfect ninety-degree angle with his arms glued to his sides. She blinks a few times in surprise, before slowly smiling and shaking her head. She faces him fully. Politely, she bows too.

"You don't have to apologize, because I completely understand why you would be wary of me. I was a villain." She says, her spiraled tresses falling over her face. "But, I hope you can forgive me for acting improperly."

"You don't need to apologize either. Although I don't know your story, the words you exchanged with your parents at U.S.J. helped me discern it." He informs as he straightens up. "You acted as a villain, but you were a hero in disguise!"

"You were really cool!" Uraraka smiles cutely.

"Thank you, Uraraka-san. You too, Iida-kun." She straightens up too, smiling while looking at the ground. "But, a hero in disguise? I guess."

"Aihara-san?" Midoriya inquires with a small frown, and she looks his way. "Do you mean that you still don't view yourself as a hero?"

He looks a little saddened as he asked that question. Out of all of her classmates, Midoriya is definitely one of the most perceptive. With a tiny smile, she fiddles with her uniform tie as she answers.

"Thanks to you and those around me, I'm able to say for certain that I'm capable of being a hero. Yet, I'm still struggling to see that for myself." She admits with a small shrug. "Calling myself a hero is a little ambiguous as of right now."

"But, Aihara-san," Iida starts up earnestly. "You saved Todoroki-san, and even went up against that monster to help Sensei."

"Yeah." Uraraka frowns, bringing her hands over her chest. "You were brave like a hero."

This is exactly what she meant when she said others view her as a hero. They see her as a hero, but she doesn't see herself as one just yet. _That's not all though_. They look so concerned and worried for her, genuinely trying to make her view herself as a hero. She looks at them all with a charming smile.

"That's what _you_ see, and what I can't see. Just yesterday, I made it my goal to try and see the hero in me and believe in myself." She lightly scratches at her cheek. "I guess in a sense, I'm just trying to figure myself out right now, so that one day for sure I can call myself a hero."

"Bravo! A journey of self-discovery!" Iida instantly starts clapping with his hands high in the air, making sheepish sweat roll down her temple. He's making a lot of eyes move their way. "Kudos to you, Aihara-san!"

"You can do it, Aihara-san!" Midoriya clenches his fists excitedly, and Uraraka bounces as she hums happily in agreement.

"Mhm!"

"Thank you." She dips her head gratefully with upward curved lips.

The lunch line moves quick as always, so their conversation ends there. She's able to grab her tray of lunch before she even knows it. It's evident that her classmates are starting to become more sociable with her. If not, she doesn't think the trio of friends would've asked if she wanted to sit with them. She's definitely connecting with more and more people. However, she respectfully declines their offer.

She's been socializing a lot today, and right now she would like to be alone to get a breather. Who knew talking could be so exhausting? Perhaps it's not just talking, but the energy the majority of people emit around her. Instead of gloomy and twisted villain personalities, there's a genuine upbeat and kind vibe.

For an example, Yaoyorozu is very kind. She was the one to return her phone to her, and she apologized for taking it without permission. Hotaru claimed it was no big deal and she was just happy that the majority of the class was happy about this new group chat. Yaoyorozu smiled beautifully and told her how kindhearted she was, expressing how she hopes to become good friends, _and she embarrassingly grown speechless_.

Shaking her head, she drags herself out of her thoughts. A small round table in the corner of the lunchroom stands out to her. A lonely table. It's positioned right by the window, making rays of sunlight shines onto it. It's almost as if it's calling out to her.

As she makes her way towards it, she notices students she's unfamiliar with shy away from her. It seems those that aren't in class 1-A are terrified of her still. Just like there are people who view her as a hero, there's still people who view her as a villain too. That's to be expected. She still has a lot of work to do to tip the scales.

She takes her seat at the round table, humming in content at how the sun caresses her skin, and at how good her lunch smells and looks. Steamed white rice, seasoned vegetables, warm soup, juicy beef, _and chocolate milk_. This is without a doubt her favorite time of the day.

Her phone vibrates in her pocket as she eats. She's sure the group chat is responsible. Yaoyorozu told everyone to send their names so everyone knows whose number is who's. Hotaru has already sent her name, but she hasn't really paid attention to the group chat itself yet, or the contacts in her phone. She's been too busy focusing on her classes.

Curiously, she pulls her phone out of her pocket. Yes, it's definitely the group chat that's making her phone go crazy. Since everyone's numbers have already been registered into her phone, them sending their names isn't of any use to her like it is for them. _Wait._ Her eyes suddenly widen.

Does she have… _Shoto's number?_

After remaining frozen for a few seconds at that thought, she opens up her contacts to see if she actually does have his number. There's no way he put his number in her phone. If she does, what does she do? Ignore it?

She scrolls through the many names. It's weird seeing so many people in her contacts. So far it looks like she has everyone's number, _even Bakugo's_. How did that happen? His name is written in large capital letters with a bomb emoji right next to it. _Ugh_. She should've paid closer attention when her phone was getting passed around, but it was kind of embarrassing, _especially when her background was noticed_.

She's nearly to the end of her alphabetically lined up contact list until the chair across from her is pulled out. With curious eyes she looks away from her phone and ahead at the cause. She nearly drops her phone in shock as her pulse accelerates, her silvery orbs widening.

Shoto has taken a seat across from her, placing his own tray of food on the table. Their eyes meet and her breath gets caught in her throat. It feels like time has slowed as a result of his cordial gaze.

The sun pouring in through the window shines upon him like a spotlight. It casts the perfect highlights and shadows. His eyes are unfathomable, and she finds herself getting lost in them. He looks away from her and at his cold soba, proceeding to eat without a word.

Hotaru continues to stare at him with her widened eyes, her lips parted in bewilderment. Realizing she's just staring at him, she quickly looks away with lightly tinted cheeks. Was this the only available seat for him to eat at?

She takes in her surroundings keenly, continuing to eat although very tentatively. There are plenty of free seats he could've claimed. What's he doing here of all places? She was already getting multiple stares sitting here alone, along with simply being who she is, but now there's more people staring. However, anyone who's staring instantly looks away in fright when she takes notice of them.

"This is a nice spot." Shoto comments, and she quickly swallows down her food.

"I-I think so too." She agrees, regrettably stuttering. "It's not crowded."

"Yeah."

Sitting here and trying to start a conversation… _what's gotten into him?_ Has he forgotten their agreement to ignore each other's presence? That would be unlike him, but even this is very unlike him.

"We're supposed to act like we don't exist, remember?" Hotaru murmurs, gazing at Shoto with a small pout.

"Today, you exist." He states, slurping his cold soba nonchalantly.

She wonders why he would say that, and why he chose to sit at this small lunch table with her. It doesn't particularly bother her, but it's strange. There's no way he's doing this for old times' sake. She looks away from him while sipping her chocolate milk.

He didn't forget. Then, is he actually trying to be friendly with her? That can't be it either. This is getting awkward. He hasn't even forgiven her yet. She knows he wouldn't just sit here without expecting to get something out of it. _That's it._ Her eyes narrow the tiniest bit.

"Do you need something?" She mutters, and he pauses from slurping his soba.

"Was it obvious?"

As he gazes at her peculiarly, she sets her chocolate mike aside with a small sigh. Did he think he was being slick just now? Was he merely being calm before he stirs up a storm? Or, did he think she would be blinded by joy at his presence like way back then? No matter the answer, her lips curve upwards in amusement.

"Completely." She answers, her silver orbs gleaming.

Surprise engulfs Shoto at her airy response. She acted differently than what he anticipated. He was expecting something either sarcastic or snarky, maybe even something indifferent. The smile she's displaying, and shimmering eyes is something he wasn't prepared for.

He watches as she tucks some strands of her dark hair behind her ear, and as she reaches for her chopsticks to finish up her meal. Her ebony eyelashes briefly shield her silver orbs from his sight as she looks down at her tray to grab a piece of beef.

"Alright." She acknowledges him with ease. "Tell me what you need. I'll see what I can do."

After that, she plops the piece of meat in her mouth and chews in content, clearly enjoying its taste. Shoto briefly looks to the side and out the window. Her benevolence is making things awkward.

Is she trying to raise him up before letting him plunge? Does she think her happy tone and kindness would influence him as greatly as it did way back then? What kind of shrewd thoughts is she thinking?

She stares at him with her awaiting eyes, and he frowns. Before long, she's frowning too. The two of them right then and there have the exact same thought;

 _I don't understand you at all._

"I want you to tell me what happened between you and my old man." He states in all seriousness, saying what he should have said from the moment he sat down. Her eyelids lower.

"Why?" She inquires almost lazily, twirling some strands of her hair with her finger. "Frankly, it's none of your business."

"It is my business." He rebuts instantly, his eyes narrowed into a cold glare.

She cracks open a single eye to gaze at him. Blindly, she reaches for her chocolate milk and gulps the rest of it down. Letting out a profound breath, she sets it back down on the tabletop with a small smirk. He's been quick to refuse answering her own questions this entire time, and when she does the same thing this is how he reacts?

"Oh, so that's how you react to getting shot down." She speculates to herself, pointing her finger at him and tracing his face through the air. His teeth bare slightly in annoyance. "You turned into such a demanding person."

"And you've turned into an irritating one."

"Really?" She tilts her head slightly, tapping her finger against her cheek in speculation. "I think I've grown more down-to-earth. You just find my honesty irritating."

"'Irritating.'" He repeats, making her lean forward with a glare.

"You're irritating too, you know!" She points at his left side, mainly his scar that she's so curious about how he got. "You don't answer any of my questions, so why should I have to answer yours? Not only that, I answer a bunch of your questions all the time and you always mark my answers off as lies."

During her ranting, she has risen onto her knees in her seat. Her hand is pressed across the tabletop to support her body that's stretched halfway across it, and the tip of her finger is dangerously close to his nose. He simply raises his hand and nudges hers aside without a word, making her head drop in defeat.

"Alright, Shoroki." She says, making his heterochromia eyes widen. "Let's go."

He watches in confusion as she hops down from her chair and brushes off imaginary dust from her skirt. She stretches her arms out behind her before grabbing her empty tray. He remains seated and now she's the one looking at him in confusion.

"Aren't you coming?" She asks.

"Where?"

"On an adventure." She answers, gesturing to beyond the window. "I'll tell you what you want to know out there. There's too many nosy eyes and ears in here."

That's when he does take a second to look around. Even though they are sitting in the deepest corner of the cafeteria, they do seem to be the center of attention. Wait, _did she say go on an adventure?_ He looks ahead to see that she's gone, and he quickly spots her walking to return her tray. She's not waiting for him.

He hurries after her.

•○●○•

Shoto trails behind Hotaru as they walk down one of the campus trails. The swaying shadows from the trees above them dance across their forms, and occasional birds fly from branch to branch over their heads. Shoto tears his eyes away from the greenery above to look at Hotaru.

Her hands are clasped together behind her back as she walks, her skirt swishing and her hair bounding. She's very light on her feet even though she moves in a frisky manner. She hasn't said anything yet and he wonders if she's just wasting his time. Just as he thinks that, she speaks.

"This feels a little familiar. Us walking together..." She murmurs, gazing up at the blue sky through the thick branches. "It's kind of like old times, don't you think?"

"No."

At that, she looks over her shoulder at him with a pout. She comes to a sudden stop, spinning around and facing him while bringing her hands to her hips. He comes to a stop too. Her cheeks are puffed out like a chipmunk.

"But, it is!" She retorts, shifting her height. Her lips curve upwards into a smirk. "I know you remember following me around at the park. I was totally the leader."

"I don't remember." He coolly lies. Their past friendship is the least of his concerns. In fact, he wishes he could just forget it entirely.

Her silver orbs flash with distress, and her hands fall to her sides. She stares at him silently with pursed lips, taking small steps closer to him. Once she's close and a mere few inches away, she stares deeply into his eyes with great concentration, rising onto the tips of her toes as she does. He's beginning to grow annoyed and it's starting to show on his features.

"Liar." She states, turning away from him and continuing to walk down the path. "You're just overlooking it."

"That was ten years ago." Shoto says monotonously, and his eyes shut in annoyance. "Why are you still so immersed in the past?"

"The past shaped me into who I am now. I used to want to forget, but now I don't." She answers. "I don't want to forget anything no matter how painful or odious. If I did forget…" She briefly pauses. "Huh… I think I would really be dead. You would probably be dead, too."

"Dead?" He repeats, wide-eyed. She nods.

"Precisely. If I forgot everything that happened between us before, I probably would've just let my dad kill you at U.S.J." She holds her hand out to the side for emphasis, looking back at him with a smirk and harmonizing her next words. "You're welcome~!"

"Aihara."

"What?"

"Stop wasting my time."

"Todoroki. Do you know what you're being right now?"

"What?"

"An asshole."

Instantly, Shoto's jaw goes slack. _An_ _asshole?_ Hotaru turns around and looks at him with a bitter glare. A group of birds suddenly fly out of a nearby bush as if her glare has affected them too. It's piercing and thunderous.

"Endeavor told me not to talk to you or touch you. He doesn't want me to interfere with your studies or get involved with you. He also questioned me about the whereabouts of my parents." She finally tells him what he wanted to know. "That's all."

Hotaru spins around on her heels and stomps away, leaving Shoto standing alone and staring after her. He doesn't say anything or walk after her. As a result, her teeth grit and her hands form into fists.

This is partially her fault for comparing their little walk to their adventures at the park. But, it's Shoto's fault for sitting with her at the table. _How dare he?_ Using false kindness to get what he wants, being so demanding when he's been nothing but a bully to her. She doesn't want to compare him to Endeavor, but she can't help doing so as of right now.

Perhaps she really will do what Endeavor told her to and not get involved with Shoto. There really is no point. All he does is cause her pain and makes her feel worthless. _That jerk._ She hopes all that cold soba he ate gives him a stomach ache.

She passes by a small group of students as she walks. They don't look very interesting or strong, so she assumes they are from the general courses. Nevertheless, she doesn't acknowledge them due to being lost in her angry thoughts. Then, one of them reaches out.

"There's no place for you here, _villain._ "

Her eyes widen and she gasps when she's suddenly shoved roughly and through the shrubs along the walkway. She falls through branches and earns a few scratches, then becoming soaked when she lands in water, _completely submerged in it._

She sits up quickly, coughing water out of her lungs. Her drenched hair and attire stick uncomfortably to her flesh, and she breathes heavily to catch her breath. The water is cold, and she begins to shiver, _in anger._

"...Seriously?" She murmurs aloud, her teeth baring as she hears their distant laughter. "What the hell?!"

They most definitely must be from the general courses, because why else would they act in such a vile way? How bold of them. She starts to stand up with illuminated eyes while making a finger gun. If they thought they were going to get away unharmed, _then they are wrong._ They just made one of the biggest mistakes of their lives. That's what she thinks until she finds herself staring into heterochromia eyes.

He looks surprised staring at her, maybe even worried too. Her jaw grows tight and she bites down on her lower lip as he holds his hand out to her through the bushes. Seriously, _what is wrong with him?_

Even though Shoto's holding his hand out to her to help her out of the murky puddle, she doesn't reach out to him. She just continues to sit there and glare at him through her lashes.

"Are you okay?" He asks, and she grimly slaps his hand away. He frowns. "You'll catch a cold."

"Good. Then I get to stay home and not be forced to look at you!"

He lets out a heavy breath, closing his eyes briefly. That weighty feeling from earlier returns as he starts to feel regretful. He looks at her sincerely, making her chest grow painfully tight. He holds his hand out to her again.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes softly, and her glare melts away.

She stares at his hand with glistening eyes, her cheeks growing darker. Slowly and hesitantly, she reaches towards it. Her fingers brush against his palm before her entire hand rests in it. Their fingers intertwine and Shoto starts to help her up, _until she yanks on his arm._

He falls forward with a silent gasp and becomes submerged. As quickly as he fell in, he sits up with probably the coldest glare yet. He turns his head to see her standing up and wringing her skirt out.

"Taru!" He yells at her in a biting tone, and she glares down at him. Oh, he's really angry.

"Come on. Don't tell me you expected me to go along with your little 'hero' act. The least you can do is catch a cold with me." She turns away from him. "Just don't start crying. I might actually feel bad—"

Water slaps onto the back of her head, making her words come to a halt. She haltingly turns around to glare at Shoto who's now standing. _Did he just fling water at her?_ Her eyelid twitches and she seethes. He takes heavy steps past her with a scowl. Where does he think he's going? She runs after him.

"Hey!" She grabs onto his shoulder. "What's your problem?!"

He roughly shrugs her off of him. His eyes are blazing as he looks at her. He shoots the same question back at her.

"What's your problem?!"

"You, you stupid gnat!"

"Says the cockroach."

"Excuse me?!" She gnarls and tries to punch him. He catches her fist easily. "Say that again you little—!"

They stand there and bicker back and forth, calling each other every insect species they can think of. Hotaru's the only one trying to get physical by punching Shoto, and he suddenly has both of her fists captured in his hands. He doesn't have any way to stop her from stomping on his foot repeatedly, though. It… _doesn't hurt at all_. How is she still so weak?

"H-Hey…" A distant and jittery voice catches their attention. They both pause and look down the walkway, and Hotaru gasps at the group of students responsible for pushing her. They are held captive by ice that goes all the way up to their knees. "C-Can you… u-unfreeze us?"

"Huh…? They're frozen?" Hotaru whispers with widened eyes. She looks at Shoto who instantly looks away from her. "Why?"

Shoto doesn't answer her and nor does he look her way. His hair is somewhat blocking his face from her view, but when the wind stirs she can see it for a brief second. Her eyes widen the tiniest bit before she smiles. Her lips part to speak until someone from behind her growls.

She looks over her shoulder, her brow raising to see some large and buff man standing there that resembles a dog. There's a muzzle on his face and he's trembling intensely. She's never seen this guy before and neither has Shoto. Does he work here? If he does, he must be a hero then.

The dog-like man takes in the scene before him. A handful of student frozen to the ground, a soaked Shoto and herself, her foot atop of Shoto's and her fists confined in his hands. _A scene that looks like a fight_. She gulps.

"What… grrr… is… going on… grrr!" His hands suddenly mimic claws and his eyes turn white in sudden anger. "Grrr! Growl! Fighting… bark! Grrr! Not allowed…! Grrrr! Growl!"

All wildlife scatters when he suddenly howls like a wolf during a full moon. Hotaru and Shoto's jaws drop, their eyes wide as they stare at him. They didn't understand anything he was trying to say, but it's evident they are in trouble. The most logical thing to do is to calmly explain the situation. Shoto proceeds to do just that, but Hotaru suddenly starts laughing.

She's laughing so hard there are tears in her eyes. Shoto releases her hands and her arms end up coiling around her aching midsection as she hunches over. The man howls again in anger, and Shoto brings his hand over his face in defeat.

"Why are you so stupid…?" He whispers under his breath, looking at Hotaru through the gaps of his fingers.

•○●○•

Hotaru picks up another piece of trash, placing it carefully in the trash bag she's dragging around once again. Classes are over for the day, and now she's carrying out her detention assignment. She needs to finish the route Nezu drawn out and it's the majority of this large campus. She assumes she's going to spend the rest of her detentions doing this task. However, this task is much different than last time.

As she walks around and stabs litter with her trash pick, she listens to the sound of footsteps lingering close by. Sheepish sweat trickles down her face and she pauses. Regret washes over her, especially when she turns around to see Shoto picking up trash.

"I'm sorry I got you detention, Shoto." She apologizes sincerely. He doesn't respond to her, but he scowls. "...You don't have to forgive me."

"I wasn't planning on it." He quips, his knuckles turning white from his tightening grip on his trash picker. "I'm supposed to be training for the sports festival, not doing this. That festival is supposed to be my moment to prove to my old man that I..."

He trails off, obviously not meaning to say that much. With a glare he turns away from her and walks towards a crinkled soda can lying afar. She looks after him with downturned lips and remorseful eyes.

The sport festival must be more important to him than anyone else. Others are aiming for the top, but his goal is something more personal. The organ in her chest drops into the pit of her stomach. What can she do to make it up to him? For the longest, she can't think of anything, _but then it hits her._

With a grin, she runs towards Shoto. He's forced to come to a stop when she appears in front of him. Her happy smile makes him frown deeply. Before long she's going to make him die of annoyance.

"Let's train right now, then!" She insists, hopping in place. "A full body workout until sunset. You in?"

His eyes narrow. The last thing he wants to do is train with her of all people. How are they even supposed to train when they have to pick up all of this trash? However, he can't afford to waste another moment idling around. If he agrees to this, he'll get a full two-hour workout in.

"What do you have in mind?" He asks.

She sets down her trash pick and trash bag, digging out her map from her pocket. He watches silently as she unfolds it and drops onto her knees. She places it on the brick pavement, pointing at the path they are on. He crouches down to get a closer look, his arms folded over his knees. She glides her finger across the trail.

"We'll start here." She says, and he nods. "We'll still be picking up trash, but we can't be walking around like we've been doing. We have to run the entire time, and for every piece of trash we pick up, we do ten sit ups and ten burpees. If we take this path, we'll end up back here. Cool?"

"Cool." He agrees, approving of this workout plan. He's surprised she was able to come up with some effective, _however…_ The way he looks at her makes her head tilt.

"What? Is there something you want to add on?" She inquires.

"I was just wondering if you'd be able to do this."

Her eyelid twitches in annoyance and she rises onto her feet, glaring down at him with her hands on her hips. He sure has some nerve. She wouldn't have suggested it if she couldn't do it. That's what she tells herself, at least.

"I can do this." She retorts, taking her map he holds out to her. "Well, are you ready? Or, are you worried that you can't do this?"

"I can." He affirms while rising onto his feet.

"Then," Her silvery orbs glaze over in all seriousness. "Let's do this!"

They both nod at each other and face the chosen path ahead. Standing side by side, they both shrug off their blazers which leaves them in their short sleeved white shirts. Hotaru loosens her tie before grabbing her trash pick and bag. The two of them crouch down and gaze ahead.

"On three." Hotaru says, and Shoto nods.

"One." He murmurs.

"Two." She whispers, then the both of them exclaim.

"Three!"

The two of them take off into a speedy run. Hotaru takes the lead instantly, much quicker than Shoto expected. Although, he learns that she is insufficient in maintaining that speed and energy. She falls behind when she picks up her first piece of trash.

Doing sit-ups and burpees is making her fall behind. She finishes her first set and she's already winded. She regrets this. She should've just said to do sit-ups, but even that's torture. Once she's able to start running again, she gawks at how quickly Shoto's able to move through these workouts.

He's moving nimbly and with ease. Her eyes widen as she watches him go through his fifth set of burpees. He's much quicker and stronger than she thought. With his short-sleeved shirt, she can easily distinguish his toned arms. He doesn't look tired at all even though glistening sweat adorns his skin. He must workout a ton.

Gradually, she becomes breathless. Her heart races in her rib-cage as she runs after him. She can't catch up. She's forced to follow behind him, forced to look at him throughout it all. His hair mimics a beautifully burning fire as he runs, and she suddenly feels as if she's on fire. _This feeling…_ what is it? Familiarity? Are they reconnecting?

Shoto ends up back where they started just before sunset—right in front of U.A. It was a great workout. He sits on the ground and waits for his rival. It's only until around thirty minutes later when Hotaru finally shows up. She's dragging her feet and drenched in sweat.

Her skirt sways as she waddles like a penguin. As she grows closer to him, she groans loudly through her breaths. She drops her trash pick and full bag, then dropping herself on the ground next to him.

"You were walking." He says, and she falls backwards to lie down.

"Shut up." She breathes out, trying to catch her breath.

He stares at her for a moment. Her eyes are shut, her hands resting over her rising and falling chest. In her exhausted state, her cheeks are slightly flushed while the sweat on her forehead causes her bangs to stick to her face. He knew she wouldn't be able to last, but he commends how she didn't give up.

"You're really strong, Shoto." She breathlessly admits. "I think that you're going to be one of the strongest heroes ever."

Her words make his eyes widen slightly, and the organ in his chest stutter. He looks away from her with softening eyes. It feels as if he's on fire. It's familiar. Has he reconnected with her? Or, is this an entirely different connection?

"Thank you." He responds after a few short seconds.

"You're welcome."

She slowly sits up, her body sore already. She can only imagine what it's going to feel like tomorrow. _Oh well._ It's hard to truly grow without feeling pain. Her eyes crack open to take in the sunset. She looks over at him with a small smile.

"I'm really sorry, once again." She apologizes, and he turns his head in her direction. "This wouldn't have happened if I didn't laugh at that guy and made him angry to the point he wouldn't listen. I had no clue he was the Guidance Counselor."

"I forgive you."

"Really?" She leans towards him with wide eyes, sitting cross legged and holding her skirt down, of course.

She's radiating with happiness. Anyone can see it. How her silver eyes are sparkling like the stars starting to appear one by one, and how her teeth are showing in her smile, it's obvious. This is the first time he's forgiven and apology of hers, so she can't help herself. Although, Shoto just thinks she's being over dramatic. This detention of his isn't just her fault, and this detention wasn't really a waste of time either.

"Yeah."

After he says that, she scoots closer to him. _Too close._ Her legs are brushing against his own. His brows furrow and he looks at anything but her. She nudges him with her elbow, a smile still on her face.

"I know you wanted to laugh at him too though." She jokes. Her fingers curl and form the shapes of circles, and she brings them over her eyes. It's kind of like she's mimicking binoculars. "Your eyes were like this. All big. Like a pop-eyed goldfish."

He glances at her, and his hand finds the back of his neck. His lips part to respond before closing. For the first time, he's struggling to figure out what to say. It's true that the identity of their counselor was a surprise, but did he want to laugh too?

"It wasn't funny." He dismisses her words, leaving the two of them staring at each other blankly.

"I… grrr… think… grrr… lying…!" Hotaru tries mimicking Hound Dog.

"Stop being stupid."

That's what he says as he looks back up at the sky, but her stupidity makes him fight a smile. She lets out a laugh and looks at the sky too. Shoto's eyelids drape over his eyes as he realizes that maybe she's not all that different. His lips curve upwards subtly.

Even now, _she's capable of making him smile_.

•○●○•

"Everyone!" Iida exclaims from the front of the class. "Homeroom is about to start. Cease talking and take your seats!"

"You're the only one not in your seat!" Sero calls out.

"How many times do we have to go through this?" Kaminari laughs as Iida stomps to his seat, sitting down with clenched fists of defeat.

"Kero." Asui brings her finger to her chin suddenly. "Something feels off."

"Yeah." Hagakure agrees. "I thought so, too!"

"Huh? What's wrong?" Ojiro looks over in concern.

"How could you not notice?!" Mineta wails, tears falling out of his eyes as he waves his arms everywhere. Everyone looks to his panicked form, watching as he points to Hotaru's desk. "Taru-chan isn't here!"

Without a doubt, Hotaru's desk is empty. It looks very lonely in the back corner of the classroom. That's not the only thing that's off, though.

"Hey. Todoroki-kun isn't here either." Midoriya notices.

"I wonder where they are?" Uraraka says in worry.

Mineta stares at Todoroki's empty desk too. Taru-chan and Todoroki are both absent on the same day? This can't just be a coincidence. _Could it be…?_ He recalls how closely they walked to class together… how he saw them sitting together at lunch and how they left before he could interfere… He cries loudly.

"How dare you steal my woman, Todoroki—?! Eek!"

"Be quiet, scum." Jiro's earphone jack punctures him.

•○●○•

"How could you catch a cold?"

Daichi sits at Hotaru's beside, handing her a tissue when she sneezes. She brings it over her nose with a miserable groan. He lets out a sigh and ruffles up her hair, making her peek up at him through her watery eyes.

"I'll go make you some peppermint tea." He says, standing up to do just that.

"Thank you." She snivels out, rolling onto her side as she sneezes again.

This is just fantastic. She didn't think she would really catch a cold. _Shoto was right_. She groans loudly once again in misery, then becomes worried. Shoto didn't catch a cold too, did he?

Her phone vibrates from her side table, and she reaches towards it. Someone just sent her a text message. It's from Kaminari. He's asking where she's at and if she's okay. She starts typing to respond until she gets another text notification. Her eyes enlarge at who sent it and she sits up in a flash.

"Shoto?" She says to herself. His name is already registered in her phone, so he must have really put in his contact information himself. She opens his text message before replying to Kaminari.

" _Are you sick?"_

That's what his message reads. She lets out a breath of relief. He must have noticed her absence like everyone else at school, and he's the only one who has a good idea as to why she's absent. It's good to know he hasn't caught a cold, too. She replies with a smile.

" _Unfortunately."_

A few minutes go by before he responds.

" _Good."_

She brings her phone closer to her face, glaring at his message with a deep frown. He's so mean. She's going to let him know that.

" _You're so mean."_

The moment she sends that message, it's already showing up as read. Three little bubbles appear as he types his response.

" _You told me to share this cold with you. I was just making sure that I was."_

Her jaw goes slack and her heart pounds away in her rib-cage. No way. Shoto is sick too? She lets out a heavy sigh before sending her next message.

•○●○•

Shoto blankly stares at his phone screen, sneezing from his spot on his futon. His sister walks into his room with a cup of warm tea. He sits up and takes it thankfully, inhaling its peppermint scent before taking a sip.

"It's unlike you to get a cold, Shoto." Fuyumi says, crouching down and ruffling his hair as he drinks. He stares at her and lowers the cup from his lips.

"Thank you for the tea."

"You're welcome." His older sister smiles. She suddenly gasps and stands up quickly. "Oh, I forgot your soup…"

He stares after her as she leaves his room, then looks down at his phone when it vibrates. Hotaru texted him back.

" _Sorry. I hope I'm getting the brunt of it. Get well soon."_

Silently, he sets his phone aside. Feeling eyes on him, he looks over to see his sister staring at him curiously from the doorway. She blinks a few times as she walks in with his bowl of soup.

"Were you texting someone?" She asks excitedly.

"No." He lies.

It looks like she's having a hard time believing that, and it's only when his sister leaves when he replies to Hotaru.

" _You too."_

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Declarations of War

❤•○●○•❤

"You being a past villain might have the greatest chance of getting transferred out."

"Oh?" Hotaru smirks suddenly, walking towards what looks to be the leader of this enemy scouting cult. She stares directly into his violet eyes. "Well, that doesn't sound very interesting to me. So, I better try my best. You guys want war, right? I'll give it to you. Me being a past villain..." She brings her index finger over her lower lip, sticking her tongue out in a frightening way while her eyes glow. An eerie aura spreads. "War is something I specialize in."

Nearly everyone clears a path for her like she originally wanted, and she smiles cutely before looking at Mineta in triumph.

"You can use the bathroom now, Mineta-kun."

"I-I don't have to go anymore."


	21. Declarations of War

**kaycblu:** thank you so much! ❤! i'm so happy you enjoyed it! please, enjoy this one too! (´ ∀ ` *)

 **bbymojo:** you're very welcome! i'm really happy you enjoyed it. it was so satisfying and fun to write. she's definitely opening up more ❤ it took a while, huh? haha. thank you so much! i'm happy you like her character design ! (＾▽＾) that was a very enjoyable project. I have another one ready to upload, but I won't do so just yet. it definitely has spoilers in it, ahah. after 3 or 4 more chapters i think i'll have reached the point where i can share it with you ❤. i'm so excited. thank you so much as always!

 **Oblivious IJ:** dun dun dun duunnn ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

 **Potato-Faye:** Shoroki ~ ! aha ｡ﾟ( ﾟ^∀^ﾟ)ﾟ｡ ! Shotaru world domination!

 **Frenchie Is French:** ahh, that makes me so happy ❤ thank you so much! they really are such cuties. i probably didn't go into as much depth as you would like, but i hope you enjoy this chapter! (´･ᴗ･ ` )

 **kirika o7:** thank you so much! more Shotaru moments coming right up! i got a ton brewing. ～('▽^人) more so next chapter than this one. please look forward to it! ❤

 **jaffa3:** thank you so much! i'm very happy you like it ❤ i have more artwork coming soon , ehe ~ (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

 **Littlecosma001:** omg, thank you so much! can't believe you binged it! ah, that means a lot. ❤ i'm very grateful to you and more than happy that you're enjoying this. Mineta and Hotaru are interesting friends, haha. and you're absolutely right. Shoto and Taru really aren't all that different. ❤ thank you a ton for reading, and i hope you enjoy this chapter too (* ^ ω ^)

 **Rynxenvy:** i'm so happy! thank you. ❤ i really loved that chapter too. i actually kept rereading it myself, LMAO o(^ω^)o they are finally melting ~ !

 **lovelyhatter:** thank you so much! that means so much to me. words can't even express how much. ❤ ! ah, i'm so grateful and happy. here's the next chapter, for you !

 **Emocean:** thank you so much! i'm very grateful! i hope you enjoy this chapter, too! ❤

 **lmc9389:** her parents are exactly as they seem—the type that like to hurt people. of course, there's more to them as well. this story is no where near close to being done, so some things are still in shades of gray. i'm coloring things a bit slowly, ehe. sorry about that. but i guarantee you'll get the answers to your questions as the story goes on. anyways, thank you a ton for reading! ❤ (*^‿^*)

•○●○•

 **hello, everyone!**

 **i hope you all are doing well.** ❤

 **school has started again and i'm sad about that, haha.**

 **but, that's life.** ヽ(ˇヘˇ)ノ

 **i hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone for reading.**

 **thank you for sticking with me and keeping me company.** ❤

 **this is fun, haha. i'm happy to write for everyone!**

 **enjoy, and i apologize for any errors.** ❤

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Declarations of War

❤•○●○•❤

"Good morning, Sensei." Hotaru greets as she walks into the teacher's lounge, without scheduling an appointment as always.

All Might who's in his scrawny form starts to cough up blood in panic even though she's seen him like this many times. Thankfully, she still believes his identity to be "All Might's cousin." She bows to him in greeting as she passes by, heading straight towards her obvious favorite teacher.

"You're early." Aizawa states, annoyed that he can't rub at his tired eyes due to still being confined in bandages. "Class doesn't start until another hour."

She comes to a stop right beside his desk, giving him a closed-eyed smile with the smallest head tilt. In her hand is a small paper bag. It crinkles when she opens it and reaches inside. She pulls out a can of coffee and sets it on his desk, then placing a straw right next to it. He stares at it.

"What's this?" He mutters.

"It's for you." She pouts with a glare before turning to All Might. "I also got one for you too, cuzzo."

She tosses another can at him, and he catches it with ease. All Might grins widely, laughing at how she has been calling him "cuzzo." He's been craving some iced coffee like this, but he's more happy at how she's evolving than the gift itself. She's really starting to flourish.

"Thank you, Young Aihara." He says gratefully, and she nods.

"You're welcome. I've been walking to school lately to be more active." Hotaru begins with a smile. "I stopped by a convenience store on the way here to get a coffee, and I thought I'd get you both one too."

"Why?" Aizawa questions with his scratchy voice.

"Because, I felt like it." She answers, frowning at him while bringing her free hand to her hip. "You're also really tired all the time. So, I thought this would help you wake up a bit. Just say 'thank you.'"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." She beams happily.

She places her bag on the table so she can have an extra hand to open the can for him. Once she does that, she carefully puts the straw in too before placing it directly in front of him. He's still all bandaged up and helpless, so there's no way he could've done that himself.

All Might snickers at Aizawa. It's such a family-like scene. Almost like a father and daughter. _They really are cut from the same cloth_. Aizawa instantly silences him with a glare. Hotaru raises a brow at the two, oblivious to what's going on in their heads.

"Anyways," Hotaru straightens up and grabs her bag. Her silver eyes become intense. "I'm going to go now. I just came to drop these off. There's something I need to look into before class starts."

"Look into?" Aizawa grumbles in question, looking at her with narrowed eyes. Whatever she needs to look into has made her happy attitude do an entire one-eighty. "You're not getting into trouble, are you?"

Hotaru blinks a few times as she gazes into Aizawa's serious eyes. She brings her finger to her chin, her lower lip protruding. She doesn't think she'll be getting into any trouble. But, what she wants to look into is troubling itself.

"Well, do you remember that group of general studies students that pushed me into a puddle?" She asks.

"Yeah." He answers with a heavy sigh. "I already told you that they've been dealt with accordingly."

"I know. I remember." She laughs, bringing her hand over her mouth as she does. He must be thinking she wants revenge. Revenge doesn't sound bad, but that's not what's really troubling her. "Don't worry, they are the least of my concerns. What I'm most concerned about is that puddle. It's been bothering me for the past few days."

"The puddle?" All Might repeats, looking at her in confusion.

"What's so concerning about a puddle?" Aizawa asks, voicing his and All Might's thoughts.

"The fact that it's a puddle." She answers with a straight face. "It's way too deep to be just that. I think it could be a pond. _A neglected pond_. So, I'm going to investigate. There will only be trouble if it turns out to be a pond. Because, to let a pond get in such a state is unforgivable and something I can't overlook."

Instantly after those words, she turns around with a parting wave. Only to pause when Aizawa suddenly calls out to her.

"Aihara," He voices her name, and she looks over her shoulder curiously. After a few seconds of studying her, he makes a statement. "You've been working hard."

"Of course." She smiles elatedly, giving him a two-figure salute. "You better watch me at the sports festival. I'm not going to hold back."

Aizawa and All Might watch silently as she leaves. When the door closes behind her, All Might rubs the back of his neck. Her bond with aquatic habitats and fish is… _quite different._ He looks over at Aizawa to ask what his thoughts are regarding that, only to gawk when he hears a slurping sound.

"How did you finish your coffee already, Aizawa-kun?!"

Hotaru walks down the hallway, gazing out the large windows that stretch down the outermost wall. The dissipating clouds are painted a coral and indigo color as the sun rises. Her lips curve upwards at the breathtaking sight, and she only tears her eyes away when she hears footsteps coming from ahead. Her eyes instantly light up at who it is. She hasn't seen the school nurse in a while.

"Good morning, Recovery Girl." Hotaru greets with a small bow. The old woman smiles and returns her respectful gesture.

"Good morning, dear. You're early today." Her eyes suddenly narrow. "You didn't skip breakfast to get here at such an early hour, did you?"

"Mhm," Hotaru hums in confirmation at her being early. She comes to a stop to talk to her some more, holding up her paper bag. "My breakfast is in here. I'll eat it before class. Don't worry. I don't skip any meals. I also get plenty of sleep, too."

"So, you've been taking care of yourself?" Recovery Girl smiles softly, relieved at that. She was genuinely worried for her health, and looking at her now it's evident she's been taking care of herself.

Her silver eyes seem to shine more brightly every time she sees her, and she no longer resembles a walking and scrawny zombie. She's naturally petite and slender, but the training she's been putting herself through is obviously starting to show. She's on the road to becoming in good shape, definitely growing physically stronger.

"Yeah, I finally took your advice to do so." Hotaru gracefully smiles, raising her hand to wave. "I need to get going now. It was nice talking to you. Enjoy your day."

"You too, dear." Recovery Girl looks after her retreating form with a smile of her own.

Once Hotaru steps outside into the fresh and dewy morning air, she pulls a green apple out of her bag and bites into it. She wipes away the juice that drips down her chin with her sleeve. Birds are singing and so are… _cicadas_. She stares at the ground as she walks to make sure she doesn't accidentally step on one of those. While she eats and walks to her destination, she looks skywards to reminisce the last few days.

The very moment she had recovered from her couple day cold, she started training daily. Instead of Daichi driving her to school, she insisted to walk instead to warm up for the day. Then after school, she carries out her detention task of picking up litter with her workout twist she added onto it.

Well, she won't be picking up any litter today since she's finished up her detention. Campus is spotless as of right now, too. However, she still will be staying after to train. There's so much more she can do here than at home.

Since she's already proficient with using her quirk, she's focusing on building up the one thing she lacks greatly. _Muscle._ She hasn't been completely ignoring training with her quirk, though. Her lips part as she suddenly remembers something. After school today, she had made plans with Mineta and Kaminari to get ice cream.

She finishes her apple and moves on to think of other things, or rather someone. _Shoto._ With a small smile, she starts to eat a protein bar. Just like she recovered from her cold, so did Shoto. Since then it feels like there has been a change between the two of them. She wouldn't exactly call themselves friends, but they aren't enemies either.

When they see each other, they greet each other. They don't really engage in conversations, but if they happen to it's usually kept short. She supposes them claiming to ignore each other's existence was a complete failure. _Oh well._ It's not like they'll become the best of friends again, but this is fine too. Either way, _she's satisfied._

It doesn't take her long to reach her destination. She works her was through the shrubs and before long that so called "puddle" is in her sight. It looks like some of the water evaporated or soaked into the ground, because it looks smaller than before. _Not only that_. She pouts, noticing a downspout.

"...It really is just a puddle." She mutters to herself, sighing. It's good that it isn't an abandoned pond, but it's kind of disappointing too. It would be cool to have a pond on campus and back here in a private area. Well, whatever. She supposes she'll just idle her time before class starts.

She steps back onto the brick walkway and right in front of someone. Her silver eyes meet his droopy purple ones. They stare at each other in an awkward silence. His brow is raised due to the fact she is emerging from shrubs, and her eyes are curiously wide at someone else being at school early like herself. His lips slowly part, realization dawning on him due to her infamous silver orbs.

"Are you… Aihara?" He asks, bringing his hand to the back of his head in thought.

Hotaru blinks a few times in surprise. A student she doesn't know isn't calling her, "villain?" Interesting. She glances up at his wild indigo hair before making eye contact with him again.

"Yeah." She confirms, stepping the rest of the way out of the shrubs. "And you are?"

"Shinso." He answers, and she holds out her free hand.

"Nice to meet you, Shinso-san."

He stares at her hand, remaining motionless. Her amiable actions have caught him off guard, and the fact that she's talking to him so willingly. However, he knows the latter is because she isn't aware of his quirk. Those that do know of his quirk avoid talking to him and view him as the complete opposite of what he aspires to be. That doesn't explain her friendly gesture, though.

Slowly, Hotaru lowers her hand with pursed lips. This guy is kind of strange. He's also making her look like a complete idiot by not taking her hand. That might be because he is wary of her. _Disappointing_. She starts to turn away from him to leave until he asks her a question.

"Why did you enroll here?"

Because her parents told her to in order to infiltrate the school and spill out its secrets. Because she had to kill Shoto and do nothing but villainous things. Because she wanted to betray her parents and claim her revenge on them. But, _there's no need for him to know that._ She doesn't care to explain, either.

"To become a hero." She answers, and his eyes narrow skeptically. She doesn't like that look. It's like he's trying to provoke her, or maybe even place himself above her. Slowly, she smirks and faces him fully. "Was that not the answer you were looking for? Well, I can't simply tell you my secrets."

Her taunting tone and the way her eyes spark ominously, she's resembling the villain she is perfectly. He doesn't understand. How did she get accepted here? Why was she placed in class A? What makes her more capable of becoming a hero than him? It's because of her quirk.

"Don't tell me you actually expect to become a hero with that quirk of yours." He says, smirking himself. "You should just step down now. Lightning is only good for destruction."

Is this guy trying to pick a fight with her? He knows her quirk, so he knows who she is. Is he cocky or just plain stupid? Thinking about it, it's probably neither. He doesn't look like the foolhardy type. If she's being honest though, the answer doesn't really matter to her. What makes him think he can degrade her?

"Lightning is only good for destruction?" She repeats, a shadow falling over her face when she lowers her head. "Ugh, you really don't know a thing. Then again, you're not the only one. It's really annoying."

His eyes widen when she raises her head, gazing at him with those tenacious silver eyes. She holds her hand up in front of her and lightning sparks in her palm. He takes an instant backwards step, getting ready to use his quirk on her to defend himself until she starts babbling.

"Lightning is only destructive if you touch it. Haven't you ever seen a thunderstorm before? You should know how it works. Lightning begins in the clouds, and what creates it is little frozen raindrops bumping into each other which leads up to the nitrogen cycle. Nitrogen is in the atmosphere, and lightning can break that up and allow for the raindrops to bring it down to earth, which is essential for plants. Why else do you think grass starts to turn a healthy green after the first thunderstorm of the year?"

Her sparking finger is in his face, and her glowing narrowed eyes are staring directly into his. A bead of sweat trickles down his temple. She has caught him off guard again, and her next actions make him utterly perplexed.

With an alluring smile, she lowers her hand and her lightning fades. Her eyes return to their original color and she takes a step back, giving him space and no longer cornering him. The rising sun is able to peek through the thick branches over their heads, making rays of light shine onto her.

"What I'm saying is, lightning is a fertilizer too. Even though it's one of the most destructive things on the planet, that's not the only thing it's good for." She turns away from him, her skirt and hair swaying. "You shouldn't pick fights like that, especially with me. Clearly you were trying to hinder me, but..."

As she starts to walk away, she looks at him one last time from over her shoulder. His eyes are wide as he stares after her. She smirks, and her next words make his teeth grit.

"I'm going to try even harder now. Don't think for a second that you can influence me."

Shinso remains in the same spot, glaring after her with tightly formed fists. Clearly she doesn't know a thing either, because he could've easily taken control over her and made her do and say whatever he wanted. She's arrogant. However, he lets out a dry chuckle while bringing his hand over his face.

For a villain, her words were very thought-provoking. He tried to bring her down, but instead she remained in the clouds. His hand drops back to his side to reveal his crafty smirk.

 _She's shortsighted for that._

•○●○•

Shoto sits at his desk, staring off into space as he waits for homeroom to start. He came a little early today, and surprisingly Hotaru did too. As of right now, the two of them are the only ones sitting in class.

He's glad the cold he caught wasn't a bad one. Hotaru evidently was the one who got the brunt of it, since she missed two days rather than just one like he did. His siblings were worried, insisting that he caught a cold from "overworking himself." On the other hand, his father was miffed.

Regardless of their feelings, he didn't explain how that cold of his came to be. Doing so would've been too troublesome. It was admittedly nice to have a day off. It seems he needed a short break more than he thought. The aftermath left him feeling more energized. He's been training even more diligently since.

"Hey, Shoto."

He looks over at Hotaru right after she says his name. Something he noticed lately is that she uses his first name a lot more often now. She tends to only use his last name when she's annoyed at him, or when she's ridiculing him.

Even though she called out to him, she's not looking his way. She's staring ahead thoughtfully with her chin resting in the palm of her hand. Her legs are crossed, and her eyelids lower slightly.

"What?" He inquires.

"Do you know someone with purple eyes and messy indigo hair?" She asks, her head turning in his direction. "He's a student here, and his name is…" She trails off for a second, seeming to have forgotten his name. "...Shinso? Yeah. Shinso is his name."

Shoto thinks for a short moment. The given name and described appearance doesn't ring any bells. He's suddenly curious about who this person is, and why she's asking if he knows him. It strikes him as strange.

"No." He answers. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering." She mutters with a tiny frown, looking back ahead. He stares at her for a few seconds. She looks bothered.

"Did he do something?" He questions.

"Well," She begins, fiddling with her tie. "I met him earlier by chance. He was trying to provoke me, but it was weird." Her hands drop into her lap, and she leans back in her seat. "I can't help but to feel wary of him. It was like he was trying to dig inside my head..."

She stares up at the ceiling with her brows knitted together, her lips downturned. When she was talking to him, she immediately marked him down as shifty. Clearly he was picking a fight, but he wasn't showing any signs of aggression or intention to fight right then and there. He was telling her to give up… _telling her she can't be a hero with her quirk_.

Honestly, what he said doesn't really bother her. She already knows she's capable of becoming a hero, and so many people believe in her. She had already come to terms with herself and already set goals she doesn't intend to give up on. The bright path she's on right now, she's not going to waver from it at all. What's bothering her mainly is Shinso himself.

Something in her gut is telling her she shouldn't treat him lightly, and normally her gut instinct is very accurate. Being a villain for so long, she can usually detect those with scheming and shady intents. However, _he's not a villain_. Interesting. This would be the first time she's wary of someone who isn't a villain or hero.

"It's probably because the sports festival is next week. A lot of people have been picking out their rivals." Shoto informs, and her lips part.

"Oh. I didn't even think of that." She murmurs. "Maybe that's why. But," She looks over at him seriously, not being able to just abandon this hunch of hers. "Be careful around him."

It's clear Hotaru's on edge because of this person. With how she's warning him to be careful too, he can't help but to take her advice for now. He doesn't think he should doubt her intuition when it comes to things like this. She grew up around wrongful people, so surely she can easily pick people like that out.

"I will." He agrees, and she smiles slightly. She turns in her seat to face him, her eyes suddenly sparkling.

"Oh, that reminds me. Have you heard of the nitrogen cycle? I just learned about it yesterday when I was watching the weather channel..." She leans forward, telling him about the nitrogen cycle he already knows about. He listens silently. When it comes to the weather or fish;

 _She's such a fanatic_.

•○●○•

"I didn't know you were so fluent in English, Aihara-san." Yaoyorozu smiles at Hotaru. The school day has flown by, and it's nearly time to leave already. "When you read your assigned paragraph out loud, I was surprised."

Hotaru's lip curve upwards graciously, her eyes closing briefly. She feels touched to receive a compliment from easily one of her smartest classmates. Yaoyorozu is pretty good with English herself. Even she was surprised.

"Thank you." Hotaru smiles. "My mother is from America, so she spoke in English frequently. I was able to pick the language up at an early age. That's one thing I can say I was fortunate to have learned from her. Although," She sweat-drops. "I learned bad words before the good ones."

"Goodness." Yaoyorozu brings her hand over her lips in horror.

"Two-Face is known for her temper." Tokoyami states, not seeing any reason to be surprised. He's standing next to them in the back corner of the classroom. Shoto's standing nearby too, although not being involved in their conversation. He only listens silently.

"...And her sexiness." Mineta murmurs to himself, making the trio look at him blankly. "What? It's the truth! She's known for seducing her victims with her dangerous visuals, like Taru-chan!"

"Huh?" Hotaru drags out, facing him with a scowl. He recoils at her intense glare. "Don't say things that'll get you shocked. Me and my mom are polar opposites, got it?"

"B-But, you really do pull people into a trance!"

"Mineta-kun," She gives him a bland look. "You can look at any female and get seduced, and it's disgusting."

"You are the scum of the earth." Jiro joins in, agreeing with Hotaru while walking over from the other side of the room.

"Eh?!" Mineta wails, flinging his arms everywhere.

"I don't know, Taru-chan." Kaminari casually walks over, throwing his arm over her shoulders. "Sometimes you do cast a spell on people."

"Says the other pervert of class." Hotaru huffs, shrugging him off while crossing her arms. He holds his hands up in mock surrender. "Whatever you're talking about is clearly in your head." She waves them off. "You guys haven't even seen me intimidate my mother before."

"Wait, have you actually done that?" Kaminari gawks.

Hotaru remains silent at the multiple pairs of curious and stunned eyes staring at her. Slowly but surely, her cheeks begin to darken in embarrassment. She coughs into her fist, looking off to the side at nothing in particular.

"...A few times." She admits.

"Why?" Jiro raises a brow, looking at her queerly.

"Desperate times calls for desperate measures." She mutters her answer, and Mineta runs up to her.

"Do it now!"

Letting out a sigh, Hotaru moves over and sits down on top of her desk. Her eyelids lower and she crosses her legs. Shoto looks over at her as she smirks and cracks her eyes open. A shadow covers the majority of her face. Her lips part, making Kaminari and Mineta lean loser in anticipation. Yaoyorozu's eyes grow wide while Jiro and Tokoyami wear rather indifferent expressions.

"No." Hotaru smiles brightly with sparkles appearing around her, making Mineta jab a finger at her.

"Why?!" He blurts.

"You can't just leave us hanging like that!" Kaminari adds on, and Hotaru runs her fingers through her hair.

"As if I would imitate her." She huffs, staring down at her feet. "You guys wouldn't be able to handle it."

"What are you implying?" Jiro narrows her eyes at Hotaru. "Stop being so cocky."

"Cocky?" Hotaru repeats with a frown. "I'm not cocky."

"She's a pushover." Shoto corrects.

"Excuse me?" Hotaru shoots Shoto a glare.

"I can see that." Tokoyami nods, and Hotaru's glare falters. She looks over him instantly.

"W-What?" She stutters out in a desperate tone. "I'm not!"

"Now that you mention it, Aizawa-sensei can scare her with just a glance. The Principal too." Jiro muses aloud with a smirk just before looking at her curiously. "Do heroes scare you?"

Hotaru stares at her for silently for a moment. Her eyes are wide and brows are furrowed, and her lower lip juts out as she pouts. She adjusts the collar of her shirt before bringing her hands down to lightly grip the edge of her desk.

"Being around heroes does make me a little nervous. I find them unpredictable." She admits softly, flexing her fingers. "Villains on the other hand are more predictable to me, but I get nervous around them too."

"You're uncomfortable around both?" Yaoyorozu asks, and she shakes her head.

"I wouldn't say that. I'm having a hard time wording this." She smiles a little sheepishly. "Villains and heroes are both really strong, but they're on different sides of the same coin. For the longest, I've been stuck on the edge."

Tucking some strands of hair behind her ear, she smiles tenderly. Her silver orbs suddenly resemble gently rolling clouds. The sun shining from the window behind her makes some of her wavy locks take on an ivory tint.

"It's not like I fear them. Sensei and Nezu—I like them a lot, but I know I shouldn't get them angry. I pick who I should fear and trust, regardless of their status. Hero or villain, each individual is different. Beliefs are circumstantial. So, I can't help thinking twice." She says. "Everyone's a little self-centered."

That's when Shoto feels like he understands Hotaru a little more. She acknowledges a person's hero or villain status, but that's ultimately it. No two heroes are the same just like no two villains are the same. Maybe they act similarly, but they think differently. It's like picking out a book.

When searching for one, you already have a genre in mind. However, even books part of the same genre are diverse. The covers can be deceptive. You have to read the summary of it before deciding to dive in.

He watches as she perks up when the final bell rights, and his eyes glaze over in thought. She's a forethoughtful person, always on her toes until she hits a certain point. She has the instincts of a predator.

"So, you have trust issues." Jiro bluntly states, making Hotaru's expression dull.

"That makes sense." Yaoyorozu brings her hands over her chest, astonished. "You were raised as a villain, which means you were led to distrust heroes, and due to your status heroes naturally distrust you. Now that you're trying to become one, that instinct still remains, and now the villains you used to trust turned against you." Her eyes sadden. "You have no choice but to be wary of everyone…"

"Taru-chan…" Kaminari says wistfully, placing his hand on her shoulder in support.

Hotaru stares at them with widened eyes, blinking. That's not what she was trying to depict at all. That makes her sound like a complete wimp. It's not like she struggles to trust people, she just doesn't do so right away. Even a hero can be a stranger.

Part of her just wants to go with it, but another part of her wants them to understand. However, that'll lead into an entirely new story—the story she told Sensei. She doesn't want to share that with them. She'll keep this brief. It's time for a topic change.

"I don't have trust issues at all." She frowns, waving her hand through the air in objection. "I'm just saying that people can be misleading sometimes. Anyways," She looks over at Mineta with a smile. "Are you ready to hang out?"

"Wait, what?" Jiro looks between Hotaru and a drooling Mineta in disgust. "You're actually going to hang out with him?!"

"Don't forget about me." Kaminari grins, pulling Hotaru into a half-embrace. Jiro sweat-drops while Hotaru nods happily.

"Mhm," She smiles, holding her hand out to Jiro. "Did you want to come, too?"

"You're…" She stares at Hotaru's inviting hand before looking into her limitless eyes. "...Trash."

"Taru-chan isn't trash. She's sexy." Mineta murmurs with a perverted smile. "I need to use the bathroom first. I'll be back for you, my sexy anti-hero."

"Sure." Hotaru waves him off. Jiro, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, and even Shoto give her some sort of an outrageous look.

"She's audacious." Tokoyami mutters, sweat gliding down his beak. Yaoyorozu brings her hand over her mouth in horror as she agrees. She's _unbelievably_ audacious.

Hotaru's eyelids lower as Mineta walks away. The small boy passes by Shoto while giving him a smug look, making him confused. What's with that expression? Shoto gets his answer instantly.

"Taru-chan is mine, Todoroki." Mineta whispers disturbingly with pressuring eyes. He wipes drool from the corner of his lips. It's almost as if he's challenging him. "You can't take her from me."

Shoto stares after him as he walks over to the door. He blinks a few times, wondering if he was hallucinating for a second. _He wasn't._ Where did that come from?

He looks over at Hotaru and his head tilts slightly. She's talking to Kaminari with a smile. He doesn't have any intentions to bond with her in the way those two want. Him and Hotaru are just acquaintances and he's fine with that. However, if he really wanted to, _he's more than certain he could—_

"Wh-What's going on?" Uraraka's startled voice suddenly grabs everyone's attention.

Hotaru's eyes crack open. Her and Shoto simultaneously look towards the doorway. The door is wide open and there are countless students in the hall. Some have their phones out with their cameras pointing inside their room, some stare in mere curiosity, while a great number of others wear challenging glares.

"What's with the crowd?" Hotaru murmurs, eyes narrowing slightly. This unexpected visit doesn't exactly seem friendly.

"I'm not sure." Yaoyorozu answers in a whisper, appearing worried.

"What business do you have with Class A?" Iida asks pointedly.

"We can't get out!" Mineta runs forward in panic before he glares. "What'd you come here for, anyway?!"

"Scouting out the enemy, small fry." Bakugo mutters, walking past him and towards the doorway. Mineta points after him and looks at sheepish Midoriya in panic. "We're the ones who made it out of the villains' attack. They probably wanna check us out before the sports festival. There's no point in doing stuff like that."

Bakugo comes to a stop in front of the crowd, and the majority of them visibly grow tense. Some even take a backwards step. Bakugo gives them all a dirty look before saying something that nearly makes Hotaru laugh.

"Out of my way, extras!"

"Stop calling people 'extras' just because you don't know them!" Iida scolds him.

While the class panics because of Bakugo, and as Iida continues to scold him, Hotaru starts to frown. Is that really why all of those students are here? If so, this would be the second time this happened to her today. She finds herself agreeing with Bakugo. Although she understands their curiosity, she doesn't really see how this is of any benefit to them—which makes it pointless.

"I came to see what the famous Class A was like, but you seem pretty arrogant." A familiar voice suddenly speaks.

Hotaru's eyes widen when she sees Shinso making his way through the crowd. He maneuvers to the front with ease, a few seeming to naturally steer clear of him. His eyes meet hers for a split second, his next words making her glare.

"Are all the students in the hero course like this? Seeing something like this for the second time makes me disillusioned."

Bakugo instantly growls, his face twisting in anger. Midoriya, Uraraka, Iida, and Mineta shakes their heads quickly in denial and Shinso's question. However, Shinso doesn't believe that in the slightest. Hotaru sliding off of her desk with her own miffed expression doesn't help the situation.

Shoto recognizes Shinso from Hotaru's description of him earlier. He looks over at her to confirm if that's him, but her guarded stance says it all. Seeing him now, he can see how she would be vigilant. He does seem cunning.

"There are quite a few people who enrolled in general studies or other courses because they didn't make it into the hero course. Did you know that?" Shinso questions idly. "The school has left those of us a chance. Depending on the results of the sports festival, they'll consider our transfer into the hero course. And it seems they may also transfer people out."

Hotaru's lips slowly part in surprise at that. She didn't give it much thought before, but she supposes it makes sense. Those who didn't score high on the entrance exam were put into other courses other than the hero one. Shinso must've been one of those people.

"Scouting out the enemy?" Shinso muses, his eyes lingering over her form longer than anyone else's. "I, at least, came to say that even if you're in the hero course, if you get too carried away, I'll swipe your feet out from under you. I came with a declaration of war."

Hotaru crosses her arms over her chest, looking off to the side. She's no longer interested in this situation. It's essentially a repeat of earlier. She lets out a sigh and her brows furrow. Although, she does feel a little irked now. He calls them arrogant, yet he's the most arrogant one present. Coming all the way here and trying to brew trouble, declaring war so blatantly. He has amazing grit.

"You being a villain might have the greatest chance of getting transferred out." Shinso states, dragging her out of her thoughts. Is he trying to pick a fight with her again? _How brash_.

The majority of her class looks at her in panic when she meets Shinso's eyes. She stares at him impassively, not planning to respond. That's what he wants her to do and she won't take the bait. Clearly he's testing her and trying to make her slip somehow. Unfortunately for him, she doesn't just lunge at anybody. Besides, Aizawa would totally give her an earful.

Her gaze breaks away from his and falls onto a nervous Midoriya and Uraraka, and then a cautioning Iida who's telling her not to feed into Shinso's speech. She almost smiles and waves her hand to show that she's not going to do anything, _until she looks at Mineta._

The small boy is wiggling in place and sweating. _Oh_ , that's right. He has to use the restroom and these arrogant students aren't showing any signs of leaving. That changes things. Her friends are very high up on her priority list, so she'll help him out. She'll scatter the crowd.

"Oh?" Hotaru suddenly and finally speaks up. Her smirk makes nearly everyone panic. Shoto stares at her blankly as she moves by him.

She walks towards Shinso who looks to be the leader of the enemy scouting cult. Her hands are in her pockets, her head angled downwards so her bangs somewhat shield her eyes while casting a shadow. Her silver orbs gleam as she comes to a stop in front of Shinso and beside Bakugo. She stares directly into his violet eyes.

"Well, that doesn't sound very interesting to me. So, I better try my best. You guys want war, right? I'll give it to you. Me being a past villain…" She brings her index finger over her lower lip, sticking her tongue out in a frightening way while her eyes glow. An eerie our spreads and her irises shrink. "War is something I specialize in."

Nearly everyone clears a path for her like the originally wanted. The dark aura surrounding her fades in an instant. She smiles cutely before looking at Mineta in triumph.

"You can use the bathroom now, Mineta-kun." She beams brightly.

"I-I don't have to go anymore." He stutters.

She stares at him wordlessly for a few seconds, her smile fading. The blank look she's currently giving him slowly morphs into one of disgust. _No way._ Kaminari halfway voices her thoughts aloud.

"Did you…?!" He sputters, not wanting to finish that.

"Of course not." Mineta denies having an accident, gazing at Hotaru in alarm. "It just went back in. I never experienced this before. Taru-chan… you really are otherworldly!"

Turning away from him, she stares at the ground while bringing her hand over her face hopelessly. That's strange, _and disgusting_. Her lips gradually downturn though. _Otherworldly_ , huh? Well, that's not wrong.

"Hey, hey!" Someone with messy gray hair suddenly roars from the crowd. "I'm from Class B next door! I heard you fought some villains, so I came to hear 'bout it! Don't get so full of yourself! If you bark too much, it'll be embarrassing for you durin' the real fight!"

Because of him, all attention is temporarily drawn away from her. She lowers her hand and watches as Bakugo moves pass her to leave, making that gray-haired student furious for being ignored.

"Wait a minute, Bakugo!" Kirishima calls out to him with a deep frown. "What're you gonna do about all this? It's your fault that everyone is hating on us!"

"If anything, these guys are the ones hating on us." Hotaru murmurs under her breath, staring directly at Shinso. "You're the definition of conceited."

Bakugo glances at Hotaru, taking notice of her glaring eyes. He then looks over his shoulder and at a perturbed Kaminari. This entire thing is pointless. They're making a big deal out of nothing.

"It doesn't matter."

"Huh?!" Kirishima spouts.

"It doesn't matter as long as you rise to the top." Bakugo repeats coolly, and Hotaru's eyes widen.

She stares after Bakugo as he leaves. _The top?_ He's right. That's all that matters right now—doing well at the sports festival. What's happening now is meaningless. She lets out a heavy breath and stares up at the ceiling. She can't believe she fed into this negative energy. Bakugo is actually pretty wise when he wants to be. He's clearly going to go all out. She feels nervous suddenly. Is she ready to face him?

"Aizawa-sensei?" Midoriya suddenly speaks in confusion.

Sure enough, Aizawa is now standing in the doorway and staring at her. She blinks a few times. What's he doing here at the end of the day? Seeing him here and now is a little odd. It's time to go. His eyes narrow and she grows tense. His capture weapon darts out and seizes her without warning.

"H-Hey! What are doing?!" She cries out in panic. Losing her balance, she falls onto her bottom. He starts dragging her out the door and everyone sweat-drops. "Sensei?!"

"You keep releasing that villain aura and it's troublesome." He mutters, miraculously pulling her along easily despite his bandages. "Nezu told me to fetch you regarding that."

"Hold on a second!" Hotaru tries to free herself desperately. "I have plans to get ice cream with my friends!"

"You should've thought about that before acting improperly."

"Do you see all these people? They started it!"

"They didn't violate any rules like you did."

Hotaru looks around desperately in panic, thinking about how she can possibly get out of this. This is no good at all. She really wanted to hang out with Mineta and Kaminari. They had this planned for so long now. Her eyes land on Shoto emerging from the classroom and she instantly reaches out towards him.

"S-Shoto!" She calls out to him, and he looks her way. "Do something!"

He stares into her pleading silver orbs for a short moment. She's reaching out to him with both hands and pouting like a child. _It's sad_. He turns and starts walking in the opposite direction. She cries out.

"Todoroki you jerk!"

"My woman!" Mineta sobs.

•○●○•

"That was a close one." Kaminari sighs.

"Too close. Our date almost got ruined." Mineta nods in agreement.

"For the hundredth time," Hotaru begins, licking her mint chocolate chip ice cream cone. "This isn't a date."

"I don't know…" Kaminari disagrees and takes in their surroundings. "This is kind of romantic."

The three of them are currently sitting at a round table right outside of an ice cream café. An umbrella is open over their heads to block the afternoon sun. String lights are hanging although it's still too early for them to shine. Hotaru looks around at these things before focusing on the cars driving by.

"Romantic?" She whispers to herself, making her two friends nod eagerly. "I don't see it. Besides," Her silvery eyes narrow. "Why would I go on a date with two guys at the same time? Or, perhaps I should say why would I go on a date with either of you?"

"That was harsh…" Kaminari and Mineta sigh in defeat, their heads dropping. Hotaru lets out a short laugh.

Luckily, Nezu and Aizawa only gave her a warning about her villain aura. They either took pity on her or were feeling generous. Nevertheless, she's happy. She hasn't hung out with friends in a long time. _The last friend she actually hung out with was…_ Her eyes widen a bit. _Shoto_. That's a surprisingly long while.

"Taru-chan," Mineta whines, waving his vanilla ice cream cone around in despair. "How am I not your type?"

"We've been through this." She gives him a blank look. "I'm not interested in becoming anything more than friends. Try me one more time and I'll definitely shock you."

"It's because of Todoroki, isn't it?"

Hotaru freezes, staring at Mineta in shock. He's pointing at her accusingly and his round eyes are envious. Kaminari and Mineta stare at her. Her shock at his unexpected words starts to morph into something completely differently. She's suddenly interested in the pattern on her waffle cone.

"You know," Kaminari looks at Hotaru curiously. "You and Todoroki definitely have a past history."

"What of it?" She shrugs indifferently, although restless.

"You protected him for years, didn't you?" Mineta murmurs in all seriousness, gazing at Hotaru with speculating eyes. "To do that means you must care about him a whole lot…"

"No way!" Kaminari suddenly gasps. "It all makes sense now!"

A stray cloud moves over the sun, making their bright surroundings dark. The wind blows and ruffles up Hotaru's hair. Her lips part ever so slightly, and her eyes are hidden beneath her messy bangs. Her grip tightens on her ice cream cone. Lowering her head slightly, the top row of her teeth grazes over her lower lip. Distant car horns resonate along with the occasional chattering of people walking past them.

"...I'm indebted to him." She whispers, her eyelids draping over her eyes. "Which reminds me. We..."

Mineta and Kaminari lean forward in anticipation for her next words. What is Shoto to her? It's obvious she cares about him. How much does she care? Were they a couple? They're so jealous.

"We have to train for the sports festival!" Hotaru suddenly stands up from her chair, making their jaws drop.

"Don't change the subject, Taru-chan!" Mineta jabs a finger at her.

"This ice cream is probably jam packed with calories. I need to go burn them off." She slams some cash onto the table. "You both should, too."

She turns and starts walking off quickly with red cheeks, taking her ice cream with her. Kaminari and Mineta stare after her in a daze before snapping out of it. With a grin, Kaminari jogs after her.

"Where do you think you're going?" He calls after her as he reaches her side. Mineta runs after them too with dramatic tears streaming down his face.

"Please tell me it isn't true, Taru-chan!" He cries out.

"Get out of your delusional heads." Hotaru grumbles with a twitching eye. "I've chosen to walk away instead of shocking you pestering people. Whatever you're thinking, just stop already."

"Alright, sorry." Kaminari huffs as Mineta finally catches up to them.

"Taru-chan?" Mineta questions.

"Think before you speak." Hotaru advises before he says whatever is on his mind.

He doesn't plan on asking about Todoroki. Taru-chan just made it clear he was being delusional about them, so he's no longer worried about Todoroki stealing her from him. She's way out of Todoroki's league. He's more curious about something else right now.

"Why do you still wear shorts under your skirt?"

 _He's struck by lightning_.

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Save! Rescue Training

❤•○●○•❤

"Don't tell me you're actually sleeping."

Shoto studies Hotaru as she rests on the rough chasm ground. She was one of the chosen to be unconscious for this rescue training, and she's definitely unconscious. He crouches down next to her. Carefully, he places his hand on her shoulder and shakes her lightly.

"Aihara?"

"Hm...?" She mumbles, still in dreamland.

"I'm going to save you now."

"...'Kay."


	22. Save! Rescue Training

**kaycblu:** ahaha, xD i noticed i am starting to have an update pattern, ehe. weekends are my time to shine ~ and, ahh, seriously?! that means a ton and makes me so happy. ❤ i'm more than grateful, and completely overjoyed that this is your favorite story. (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و thank you so much for reading, and everything! ❤ i hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Oblivious IJ:** i totaallyyyy did not laugh out loud at your review. kidding. i did. (〃ω〃) lol! save me from the nothing I've become ~ ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

 **Rynxenvy:** haha! Hotaru and Mineta are an interesting pair ~ i love them lmao. Shinso is also one of my favorite characters too! ❤ i can't wait to see more of him in the anime. i'm sure him and Taru will grow closer eventually. c:

 **Littlecosma001:** it definitely seems that he's a worthy rival! i wonder what kind of rivalry they will have? (°ロ°) ! haha, don't worry. she will definitely imitate her mom soon. can't wait for you too see it. (≧◡≦) i'm looking forward to it myself aha.

 **bbymojo:** Aizawa and Hotaru are so enjoyable and cute to write ~ ! i'm happy you enjoy them, and you're so sharp, ahh! "projection" is literally the perfect word to describe their interaction. he's definitely insecure and questioning why she's a better hero candidate than himself—since she's in class A. i can't wait for them to learn more about each other, aha. thanks so much for your patience! ❤ i'm going to upload my next drawing literally very very soon ! (* ^ ω ^) the sports festival is so close, and that's the setting of the next drawing :D !

 **lovelyhatter:** really? ｡ﾟ( ﾟ^∀^ﾟ)ﾟ｡ crying tears of happiness. thank you so much! literally, that makes me so happy. Hotaru loves you too ~ ! here's the next chapter for you! i hope you enjoy it, i was aiming for something more lighthearted this time around. ❤ thank you a ton, again!

 **Emocean:** thank you so much! (⁀ᗢ⁀) i'm trying ~ aha. next chapter for you! ❤

 **pinkpaladin:** ehe, i think they would make great friends too! i'm sure one day, they'll definitely be! ❤ i'm so happy you love this story, so _so_ happy! i hope you enjoy this chapter! (＾▽＾)

•○●○•

 **hi, everyone!**

 **are you doing well? i hope so.** ❤

 **i'm sipping on some coffee right now and enjoying this extended weekend!** (*´▽`*)

 **anyways, i hope everyone enjoys this chapter. this is a monster chapter, but it was enjoyable to write.**

 **i was kind of aiming for this to be almost like a breather before the sports festival.** c:

 **i hope everyone enjoys, and i apologize for any errors.** ❤

 **thank you for reading!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Save! Rescue Training

❤•○●○•❤

Time is passing by quickly. Whether that's a good or bad thing, Hotaru doesn't know. The famous Sports Festival is tomorrow—one of the most important days of her life thus far. She's been training diligently but she can't help but to feel nervous. _So. Very. Nervous._ Standing in U.S.J. once again isn't helping her nerves at all.

Her silver eyes dart around wildly, scanning over every inch of this place that she can see from the top of the stairway. Shigaraki, Nomu, _and her parents_. All the memories from that day come rushing back at her. She's on edge.

Shoto stares ahead blankly as he waits for this trivial rescue training to start. This is the training they missed out on due to the villain attack, and now they have returned for a take two. He turns his head to look at Hotaru standing next to him. She's being paranoid and sticking to him like glue. He's not the only one who notices this.

"It's safe this time, Aihara-san." Midoriya smiles sheepishly, walking over to try and calm her down.

"It was supposed to be safe last time, but it wasn't." She replies, still surveying the area. "Even if it is safe, I'm not letting my guard down. It's better to be safe than sorry." She holds up her lightning coated hand, growing more tense instead of relaxed. "This time, I won't let anybody get hurt. Shoto,"

Hotaru moves and stands directly in front of him. He stares down into her silvery eyes that are narrowed severely. Her cheeks are puffed out slightly and he starts to look away until she grabs his sleeve. She leans closer to him, whispering.

"I'm going to tell you a secret." She begins, then furrowing her brows in thought. "This really shouldn't be a secret anymore… Ah, whatever." She rises onto the tips of her toes to whisper in his ear. "Your flames can overpower my dad in an instant. So, if you see him fry him to a crisp. If you see my mom, she's really confident in her looks so if you flatter her a little she'll—"

"Aihara." He interrupts her speech. She lowers herself so her feet are flat on the ground once more while tilting her head.

"What?"

Her eyelashes flutter as she blinks in bewilderment, her lips pouting. For her to tell him her parent's weaknesses makes it clear that she's being very cautious, but her trembling hand that's tangled into his sleeve tells an entirely different story. When it comes to masking her fear, she's good. However, he's able to see through her much more easily than before.

"It'll be fine." He tells her, making her eyes widen a notch.

"This time there's no danger guaranteed." Aizawa speaks up afterwards, the bandages he still wears making his voice muffled. "You don't need to worry."

Hotaru silently stares at him, her hand gradually falling back to her side. It is true that the school has bumped up its security since that attack, and since Aizawa is saying there's no danger it must be true. She's sure that this place was thoroughly searched along with the rest of campus. Shoto reassuring her also lightens the heaviness in the air greatly. She spares him a glance too before letting out a sigh, kicking at the ground.

"Alright." She acknowledges while nodding her head, slowly beginning to relax.

Mineta slowly walks up behind her, staring at her backside with a lewd smile. She's dressed in her fitted hero costume, and her figure… _has it grown more voluptuous?_ It most certainly has.

Like a predatory rodent, he creeps closer while licking his lips. He's almost close enough to touch her until an intense glare from Aizawa makes him turn as white as a sheet. He falls backwards, his soul visibly leaving his body. The thump from his fall makes Hotaru turn around with a raised brow.

"What's wrong with you?" She inquires with a tiny frown.

Before she can even think to help him, the tiny boy is suddenly blocked from her sight by Shoto. Her lips part in surprise and she looks up at him, a question mark appearing over her head.

"You're short." He explains, and she glares. "You should be the one to stand in the front."

"Hmph." She spins around so her back is to him and folds her arms over her chest. A popping vein is visible from the back of her head, but she doesn't have any words to counter his spoken fact. Kirishima clenches his fists dramatically at what just transpired, his eyelids clamping together.

"That was so smooth and manly." He expresses to himself.

All words being spoken come to a stop when Thirteen clears her throat. Their long-awaited rescue training is about to officially begin. Straightening up, everyone redirects their attention ahead. However, instead of being focused, the majority of everyone is concerned.

"Well, that happened, but class is class." Thirteen begins quite energetically, making everyone sweat-drop. "So, let's begin the rescue training."

"Can you really move, Thirteen-sensei?" Uraraka questions worriedly, what happened to the Pro Hero during the villain attack fresh in her mind. Thirteen spins around in a mini circle to answer her question. Clearly she's doing well.

"My back hurts a bit." She admits before pointing at Aizawa. "But, it's nothing compared to Senpai."

"We are ready to begin class, let's start already." Aizawa says, almost sounding like he's fighting off a yawn. "We are wasting time."

Turning, Aizawa starts to venture down the stairs. Hotaru naturally begins to follow after him while everyone else remains rooted in the same spot, seeming unsure. Midoriya suddenly steps forward and calls out to him, making him turn around.

"All Might is supposed to meet us here as well." Midoriya begins. "Where is he?"

"I don't know." Aizawa answers with no delay, turning back around to continue down the stairs. "Forget about him."

Shock registers on Midoriya's face at his cold response. He knows the two of them aren't the best of friends, but his tone was unexpected. Did something happen between the two of them? Unlike his thoughtful frown, Hotaru runs after Aizawa with a grin.

"Aizawa-sensei, you're so cool." She compliments, his straight-forward personality fascinating her as always. He only hums in response as she falls into step beside him. She snickers, pointing at his bandaged arms. "How much longer do you have to keep these on?"

"A couple more days."

"Really?" She clasps her hands together behind her back, her eyes sparkling "I'm glad. I haven't seen your face in forever and I kind of miss it. But, I'm also going to miss this too."

"What?"

"I mean," She shrugs, looking off to the side with a mischievous smirk. "Being stronger than you is pretty fun."

He shoots her a glare.

 _She scurries to the bottom of the stairs in fright_.

•○●○•

"Let's start with the rescue training!" Thirteen starts up happily. Hotaru can't help but to find her passion for these kinds of things cute. Thirteen obviously loves her job. However, their current location is a little… _worrisome?_

Hotaru stands at the edge of the chasm, peering down into it with pursed lips. She can hardly see the bottom of it due to how deep it is. It's essentially a pool of darkness. It feels familiar. What exactly are they going to do here? Kaminari and Koda stare at her with a pale face, unsettled at how close she's standing to the edge.

"There'll be three students at the bottom of the chasm." The Space Hero starts to explain their task. "One of them will be unconscious, the other will have an injured leg and the last will be very worried."

Despite his concern at how closely Hotaru is standing at the edge, Kaminari moves over to her along with Kirishima. They both gaze over the ledge like she is, although they are on their hands and knees unlike her who's standing. Their jaws drop.

"What height!" Kaminari exclaims.

"How are we supposed to get down there?!" Kirishima gawks.

"What are you saying?!" Iida suddenly shouts, running full speed over to them. He skids to a stop, making air rush at them before dropping onto his knees. He yells down into the deep pit. "Are you okay?! Do not worry, we will save you!"

Iida brings his hand to his ear and listens for a response that obviously isn't coming. Hotaru brings her finger to her chin in thought, still gazing down into the darkness. Her mind is somewhere else. _Why is this so familiar to her?_ The answer is so close she can nearly grasp it. Well, whatever. She should really be focusing on her current task.

She just hopes she's not chosen to be one of the injured. That doesn't sound very fun or beneficial. She wants to learn how to save people with her quirk, not play the role of someone who needs to be saved—the role she's essentially been playing throughout her whole life. She was always needing and longing to be saved, _and she no longer wants to—_

"And you, Aihara!" Thirteen's voice drags her out of her thoughts. She looks over at the Space Hero, seeing that she's pointing at her.

"What about me?" She questions with a head tilt, and the answer she gets makes a gloomy aura fall over her.

"You're one of the injured!"

"Taru-chan, you look so depressed." Kaminari frowns, grabbing onto her shoulders and shaking her in hopes to get her to snap out of it.

"It's okay, Taru-chan!" Uraraka bounces over to her in excitement. "Let's do our best!"

Hotaru stares at Uraraka, her happiness somewhat being able to lift her spirits. It seems she along with Iida and Midoriya were chosen as well. She lets out a heavy breath. Maybe this won't be so bad. Surely they are going to alternate, right? She hopes so, at least. _But…_

"Why me?" She murmurs to herself more than anyone else.

Before she even knows it, she's at the bottom of the shadowy chasm. She stares up into the world of light above her with her arms crossed. Now that she's down here, it doesn't look as deep as she thought it was. She looks to her left and right. Although, this place does seem to stretch on for quite the distance.

She takes in the uneven wall of stone, her lips firmly pressing together. There are tiny dust particles drifting through the stale air, and she watches as they move by. One of them leads her straight to a cobweb. A silent gasp escapes her and her eyes enlarge. _That's it_.

The reason why this place sparked some familiarity is because it resembles that decrepit apartment she used to live in. Those dark and lonely days, the face of her parents, and even the face of a younger Shoto flashes before her. As a result, her arms fall and hang limply at her sides.

Her jaw clenches, her teeth gritting together unpleasantly. The fact that she was chosen to be down here feels as if it was fateful—meant to remind her of who she was and what she's done amidst her hero training, _reminding her of just how sensitive she still is_. Her fingers curl into tight fists.

"Aihara-san!" Iida suddenly appears in front of her, and she jumps. "We must do our best to be injured!"

He startled her so much she struggles to find her voice for a moment, and sweat drips down her temple. She sucks in a desperate breath, nodding while bringing her hand over her chest that contains her swiftly beating heart.

"R-Right." She stutters, making Midoriya and Uraraka look her way in concern. Even though they are in the shadows, she appears pale.

"Are you alright, Aihara-san?" Midoriya questions with downturned lips.

"Yeah." She waves him off with a smile. "I just wish we were the ones doing the rescuing."

She walks off to the side, although not terribly far. A smile is still on her face and that's enough to diminish their worry. She lowers herself onto the ground, sitting cross legged and gazing up at them in an appealing manner. Midoriya's cheeks grow a shade darker and Uraraka stares at him with barren eyes.

"Let's do our best." She says, and he nods with a wide smile.

"Yes!"

The four of them get into position, and Iida starts yelling like the world is ending. Midoriya gazes at him queerly while Uraraka tries desperately not to laugh. Hotaru merely lets out a sigh, lying on her back at staring blankly at the very distant ceiling as she waits to be rescued. Waiting… _to be rescued._

"Disappointing…" She whispers to herself even though she's supposed to be acting unconscious.

Another floating speck of dust catches her attention. Her eyes follow it as it drifts across her sight, and she turns her head to watch as it disappears into the darkness. Her hands that were resting over her midsection move to settle on the ground. Even the coolness of the ground is the same. _She doesn't like it._

She rolls onto her side and uses her arm as if it's a pillow. Her silver orbs bore into the vast shadows. She can almost swear she hears her father's voice that used to comfort her, and her mother's voice that did nothing but berate her. _She definitely doesn't like it._

Her eyelids lower to block out her surroundings. With her sight now being absent, she's now aware of the sound of a draft. A small and barely detectable gust of air moves past her. Her knees rise towards her chest and she lets out a heavy breath. _She hates it._

She hopes someone saves her soon before she crumbles. Until then, she'll wait just like she did back then. Only, instead of waiting for her parents to come home, she's waiting for a hero to come pull her out of this darkness—someone who will safeguard her and make her feel comforted.

She always ended up waiting for a long time. She waited for so long that she ended up falling asleep each and every time, hoping in her clouded dreams she would wake up to something refreshing, _just like she's doing right now_.

•○●○•

"We just need to save Aihara-san, now." Yaoyorozu smiles, relieved and happy that their rescues are going well.

Although the teamwork between her, Bakugo, Todoroki, and Tokoyami started off a little bumpy, things have definitely smoothed out. However, something is troubling her. She looks over at Tokoyami with a small frown. He has returned from the bottom of the chasm unexpectedly.

"Wasn't Aihara-san one of the unconscious?" She inquires, a worried crease in her brow.

"We agreed to save the unconscious first, since they are in the most critical condition." Shoto states, and Tokoyami shuts his eyes.

"I couldn't find her." He answers. "She wasn't near the others and it was too dark for me to search safely."

"I see." Yaoyorozu brings her hand over her mouth in worry. "Then, shall we—?"

"Let's just blow up the cliffside!" Bakugo roars, making everyone look at him in dread. He glares at their expressions. "It'll be quicker!"

"Yaoyorozu, can you make a flashlight?" Shoto speaks, ignoring Bakugo and making him seethe. "That way Tokoyami could see?"

"Someone else will have to go down." Tokoyami shakes his head in disagreement. "I've reached my limit."

Shoto stares at him wordlessly. He reached his limit already? That's a little unbelievable, but the seriousness in Tokoyami's eyes almost implies there's something more to it. It can't be helped. Since he wants to hurry and get this training over with, what he needs to do next also can't be helped. He's already wasted enough time as it is.

"Then, I'll go." He announces, walking towards the chasm's edge.

"Huh?!" Bakugo glares after him, explosions erupting in his palms. "Bastard! Stop deciding things on your own!"

He starts tramping towards Shoto with a deadly demeanor. Before he can grab his shoulder and knock him senseless, he steps over the edge. He freezes, and all the class spectators scream when Shoto falls into the dark chasm.

"Todoroki-san!" Iida screeches in horror, and Mineta wails hysterically.

Even though it looked like he fell to his death, he's really using his ice to surf down the chasm wall. The reactions of his classmates nearly make him roll his eyes. He reaches the bottom in no time flat and effortlessly, unharmed. Perhaps he should've just done this from the beginning.

He starts his search for Hotaru without delay, instantly taking note of how dark and gloomy it is down here. His mismatched eyes look around carefully to ensure he doesn't miss anything. He doesn't see her just yet, and he frowns. Did she travel deeper even though she wasn't supposed to wander far?

Something faint reaches his ears. It was a groan. _A drowsy groan._ Then, he hears the sound of crunching pebbles. He looks in the direction it came, spotting Hotaru on the ground easily. She's stretching her limbs like a cat just before she rolls over and curls into a ball.

How could Tokoyami have such a hard time finding her? She's close to where the others were, only in a more shadowy area. Not only that, she's kind of hard to miss in general. He lets out a sigh and starts walking towards her. He doesn't really care to ponder over it.

The sound of his footsteps echo as he walks, and Hotaru doesn't show any signs of noticing him. She's even facing him yet doesn't move. Once he comes to a stop before her and is close enough to see her face, he makes a wry expression.

"Don't tell me you're actually sleeping." He murmurs to himself.

He studies Hotaru as she rests on the rough chasm ground. Her eyelashes are resting against her cheeks, and her chest rises and falls, matching the sound of her soft breaths. He crouches down next to her, staring at her face. He's never seen her so relaxed and unguarded as she is now. She's definitely unconscious. Carefully, he places his hand on her shoulder and shakes her lightly.

"Aihara?"

"Hm…?" She mumbles in a delicate voice, still in dreamland.

"I'm going to save you now." He informs, speaking in a slightly louder tone.

"...Kay." She whispers, nodding slightly.

His hand falls away from her shoulder. He hoped that his louder tone would have woken her up, but surprisingly it didn't. She must be a deep sleeper, but how she responded to his words during her slumber makes that questionable. This is inconvenient, _but also opportune_. If she was awake, this would be even more awkward.

He brings his hand under her knees and his other beneath her back. He lifts her up slowly, carefully, _nervously—_ she shifts in his arms and he freezes. Her eyelids twitch and her lips part as she lets out a breath heavier than the rest. She turns slightly, snuggling against his chest. Dropping her crosses his mind.

Glowering, he starts to walk towards the chasm wall. He's not sure why he's suddenly suffering from heartburn. Perhaps he ate too much soba for lunch. Either way, he needs to hurry and get this over with.

When he comes to a stop next to the rugged wall, Hotaru's eyes slowly crack open. The only thing her currently blurry vision can make out is white and red. Her cheek is squished against something warm and robust, too. What happened to the cold ground? _Wait._ Her eyes open as wide as they possibly can and her jaw goes slack. _Shoto's—?!_

Before she can even finish that thought, her stomach lurches when she's suddenly ascending at tremendous speed. She hears the sound of ice and the rushing air makes her tired eyes water. She can't comprehend what's happening. _She can't believe what's happening_. Is this even happening? _S-She must be dreaming!_

Everything along with the sensation that she's falling makes her yelp and instinctively reach out to grab onto something. Her eyes squeeze shut at the bright world she's suddenly brought into, _and everything goes still_.

There's a ringing in her ears at the lack of sound. Her eyelids slowly raise to reveal her silvery eyes, and she peers into Shoto's impassive ones. Their eyes are nearly level, so close they can make out the tiny details embellishing them. Her breath gets caught in her throat when she becomes aware of a few things.

Her arms are wrapped around his neck, the ends of his soft tresses brushing against her fingertips. He's holding her so carefully and like she's weightless. The longer she stares into his eyes, the more red her face grows. Before long, she's glowing like a stop light. As quickly as she can, she withdraws her hands.

"Todoroki!" Mineta roars in anger at the scene, and Ashido brings her hands over her mouth with darkening cheeks.

"That was quick, Todoroki-san." Yaoyorozu praises his quick rescue.

Wordlessly, Shoto sets Hotaru down and she instantly feels lightheaded. Her legs quiver and her face has somehow grown more vividly red. Why is it suddenly so hard for her to stay upright? Why does she have heartburn? Did she drink too much coffee? Multiple beads of sweat trickle down her flushed face.

"What's wrong?" Shoto inquires at her suddenly feverish form. Did he ascend to the top of the chasm too quickly? "Do you feel nauseous? If so, there's a pressure point in your foot—"

"Taru-chan!" Hagakure waves her hands everywhere, her voice overpowering Shoto's. "You're blushing!"

Why would she exclaim that fact? Why is she so buoyant? _Why, Hagakure?_ As if she and Shoto weren't the center of attention already, now everyone's staring at her. Hotaru wants to shock her so badly. Her head whips in the direction of the invisible girl, her silver eyes glaring so fiercely it makes her yelp.

Even though she's glaring, her embarrassed blush makes it useless. It's like a hissing kitten. Cuteness and violence mixed into one, but more cute than anything else. Kaminari stares at Hotaru and he can't help but to smirk. This proves everything. _His head isn't delusional like she claimed!_ He points at her with a boastful grin.

"I knew you had a thing for—!" He starts to say, making Hotaru shock him with blinding speed. She obviously held back since his brain isn't short-circuited, but he's awfully close to his electrical limit. Steam rises off of him and Hotaru darts in his direction. He flinches, thinking she's going to attack him.

Instead of shocking him further like he thought, she runs right past him. She moves over to Aizawa who's standing in the far back, hiding herself right behind him. Her fingers grip his shirt and his eyelid twitches.

"Let go." He grumbles, starting to move away until her grip on him grows tighter as she shakes her head.

"Please," She whispers desperately, her face still burning. "Let me stay here for a little bit."

He looks over his shoulder and at her pitiful face. He doesn't want to even think of why she's as red as a tomato. However, something does cross his mind. _Whatever._ Letting out a sigh, he looks back ahead at his class to tell them to get ready for the next round of rescuing.

Hotaru lets out a breath of relief, inwardly thanking Aizawa. He's the best. She's not sure what she would do without him. She focuses on her breathing and she begins to cool down, but she still feels so weak in the knees. She swallows thickly and squeezes her eyes shut.

Out of the twenty people who could've saved her, _it was him_. It's always Shoto. He pulled her out of the darkness just like way back then. Again and again, it's a never-ending cycle. Her fingers tremble.

She peeks out from behind Aizawa to look at Shoto. He's standing off to the side and staring at the ground with a thoughtful expression. As if sensing her gaze, he looks over at her which makes her quickly duck back behind Aizawa. Her cheeks are starting to grow warm again and her teeth grit.

What is wrong with her? They embraced before in the past multiple times, so she's not sure why this simple close contact has her so self-conscious. Why is just the thought of him suddenly making her go haywire? She's nothing but an annoying, weak, dumb, blushing school girl. This isn't who she is at all. She draws in a deep breath, slouching against Aizawa with the smallest of whines.

 _She wants to go home._

•○●○•

Their rescue training moves from the Mountain Zone to the Ruins Zone. They stand in the middle of the makeshift ruinous city. Instead of sticking to Shoto like glue much like before, Hotaru is now avoiding him like the plague. She's standing in the far back and by herself, trying to make it seem like she's not even present.

"Now we continue in this setting." Thirteen begins to explain their next steps. "Unlike the first training, there's different situations. The purpose of this scenario is to give a more genuine experience. The injured can be anywhere and we don't know in what state they may be. You'll have eight minutes to spread out and five of you will be the rescuers. The rest of you must hide in whichever place you wish. Eight of the hidden may not speak. I will select them."

"We are playing hide and seek!" Ashido exclaims in excitement, facing everyone with sparkling eyes.

"To be precise, almost." Thirteen confirms.

Hotaru is staring at the ground with a deep frown. She doesn't want to do this. Any motivation she had about today is long gone. She's half tempted to ask to use the restroom. Only, _she won't be returning from it_.

"Okay, the five that will search, are them!" Thirteen declares, and Hotaru brings her hand over her face.

Midoriya, Mineta, Uraraka, Bakugo, and herself were chosen. Even though she's the one who's going to be doing the rescuing this time, she still isn't interested in doing this. _Not at all_. It seems Bakugo doesn't want to do this either.

"Huh?! Why do I have to do it with Deku?!" He roars, making poor Midoriya flinch. Hotaru lets out a sigh and raises her hand.

"Yes, Aihara-san?" Thirteen grants her permission to speak.

"Can I use the bath—?"

"No." Aizawa cuts her off, and her hand falls back to her side. Her eyes are drawn to Mineta when he starts babbling to himself.

"When you carry the victims, you can touch their chests or their ass!" He brings his hand over his tiny drooling mouth, gazing intently at Ashido's and Asui's backside. "Is that considered an evil deed?"

"You're forbidden from carrying them, Mineta-kun." Midoriya instantly affirms, and Hotaru stares at Mineta is disgust.

She lets out a small sigh, folding her arms over her chest and lowering her eyelids. Is it even safe for someone like him to become a hero? He certainly has the skills for it, but not the mind. There's something else, too.

"It's not like he could, anyway." She says, making Mineta look at her with an agape mouth.

"What do you mean, Taru-chan?"

"I mean, you carrying anyone here." She answers nonchalantly. "I just don't see it."

"Heh," Bakugo can't help but to smirk, understanding what she's implying. He sneers at the tiny boy. "He'd get squashed like a bug."

"Eh?!" Mineta cries out in betrayal, and she snickers.

The chosen injured ones are given two minutes to hide, and during those two minutes the rescuers have to close their eyes. _This really is like a game of hide and seek_. Hotaru tries to peek to see which direction Shoto goes to avoid having to rescue him, _and she fails._ Aizawa is way too sharp and nearly caught her. Actually, she's pretty sure he caught her. He doesn't say anything though, which is by far scarier than him actually saying something.

"Let the training start!" Thirteen declares once the full two minutes are up. "Don't forget that no situation is strange in this case. Now," Thirteen pumps her fist in the air. "Start!"

"Alright!" Midoriya instantly takes the lead, and Hotaru looks over at him. "Let's look nearby!"

"Ok—" She starts to reply, until Bakugo mercilessly cuts her off.

"There's no need!" He rebukes. "Follow me, garbage!"

After those oppressive words, Bakugo throws his hands out behind him. Hotaru's mouth forms an "o" shape, knowing what he's going to do next. Powerful explosions erupts from his palms, making a gust of wind powerful enough to send Mineta flying break out. Hotaru brings her hands up to shield her face from the sudden blast. Bakugo takes off into a swift flight and leaves them all behind.

"What's with that guy?!" Mineta cries out, instantly hopping back onto his feet and glaring. "He's too rash!"

"That's just the type of person he is." Hotaru says, staring after him. She shrugs and turns to Midoriya. "Working with him is out of the question."

"It can't be helped." Midoriya acknowledges. "Let's search first for the ones that can speak."

"Yes!" Uraraka clenches her fists, nodding in determination. Midoriya turns his attention over from her to Mineta and Hotaru.

"A lot of time has passed since the fight, let's go!"

"Ok!" Mineta and Hotaru give an energetic thumbs up.

"Let's go!" Uraraka cheers.

The four of them split up to begin their search, running somewhat aimlessly. As Hotaru sprints down a random street, her eyes keenly study her surroundings. Even though she claimed she wasn't interested in doing this, now that it has started she's taking it seriously. So far she doesn't see anyone at all. Isn't searching for her classmates in such a gigantic place a little impossible?

She slows down to a stop and cups her hands around her mouth. She's going to take Midoriya's advice and search for the ones that can speak. She'll be more successful in finding someone that way. Searching for someone who can't speak is like searching for a fish in the water, when it's really out of the water. She blinks. _Maybe she should have said that the other way around._ Finding a fish out of water is easy and horrifying.

"Hey!" She yells out. "Is anyone there?!"

Getting no response, she lowers her hands with a frown. Maybe no one is around here? Or, perhaps just no one that can speak. There has to be someone nearby. She hopes there is, at least. She starts walking around to investigate further and comes to an abrupt stop near a beat-up car.

She stares at it intently, almost having walked past it. The window is busted. She takes steps closer to it and looks inside, the shards of glass catching her attention. She doesn't think anyone would've climbed into here. It's too hazardous. What about below it? She drops onto her knees and looks beneath the car, her eyes lighting up instantly.

"Koda-san!" She beams at the shy and muscular boy. He smiles a little nervously and she holds her hand out to him. "I'm here to save you. You're not hurt, are you?"

He shakes his head in response, reaching out to her offered hand with trembling fingers. Even though she knows he's a very shy person, he seems even more shy around her. Her eyes soften a bit. Yes, _it seems that way_. In reality, he's still a little afraid of her.

"Don't worry." She tries to reassure him that she's friendly. "Let me help you out of there. It looks a little uncomfortable."

Koda looks into her bright silver eyes that shine gently. Her lips are curved upwards into a kindhearted smile that somehow makes his fingers stop trembling. Even though there is no sunlight in here, somehow rays of light are shining onto her and creating sparkles. Slowly, he places his hand in hers and lets her help him out from beneath the car. Once he's standing, he pulls his hand from hers. She faces him with a small frown.

"You're really not hurt though?" She inquires. "I know this is just a staged rescue, but there's shards of glass on the ground."

He shakes his head comically fast, waving his hands around to let her know he's unharmed. She looks him over rather quickly and his cheeks darken. There's not a cut or scratch on him and she lets out a relieved breath.

"That's good. Well," She brings her hand to the back of her neck, sheepish sweat forming on her temple. "Actually, I'm not sure what to do next. Do you stick around with me or go back to where we started?"

He shrugs and she taps her index finger against her cheek thoughtfully.

"I guess I could walk you back," She murmurs in thought. "That is the most heroic thing to do, right—?"

A distant crash makes her words come to an abrupt halt. She turns around quickly and Koda trembles. Her eyes zone in on the apartment building at the end of the road. The roof to it is missing and within the windows it's shadowy. Clouds of dust rise from it, making it clear that's where the crash came from. Worry crosses her features.

Was someone hiding in there? She hopes the ground didn't give way on them, or that the ceiling didn't collapse on them. The entire building looks unstable. Either way, she needs to investigate and quickly. Someone might actually be in trouble. She starts to run over to it.

"Koda-san, wait there—" She starts to say, only for her breath to get caught in her throat.

Her blood runs ice cold and the color drains from her face. Her irises shrink and her stomach knots up. Static fills her ears and she becomes numb all over, feeling as if she's suddenly made out of lead. She's frozen stiff.

"S-Shoto…?" She breathes out even though it feels like a knife is slowly being pushed into her chest.

Emerging from the building is a burly and unfamiliar man. He's dressed in dark clothes and wearing a metal mask with multiple spikes coming out of it. As he exits the building it crumbles to the ground, but she's not focused on that. Her sunken eyes are locked onto the limp Shoto he hauls with a single hand.

She was supposed to protect him. He was never supposed to be hurt like this. Her fingers tremble. There was a villain hidden here this entire time? Not only that, she's never seen this villain before. Who is he? She takes a single step forward. _No_. It doesn't matter. She knows enough about him already.

He hurt Shoto and is now hauling him around like he's a rag-doll. He was lying in wait this entire time waiting to do something atrocious like this. He's a villain. _He's her enemy._ Right now, she only needs to do one thing. Her fingers curl into tight fists.

 _Save Shoto_.

"Koda-san," Hotaru speaks instantly when the villain starts making his way towards them. "Run. Get out of here."

"W-What about you?!" He stutters fearfully, this being the first time she's hearing his voice.

"Don't worry about me. I'll catch up to you..." She speaks in a soft yet weighty tone. "...After I turn this guy into a pile of ashes."

Koda runs off with tears in his eyes and the villain laughs at her words. Her teeth grit and she gets into a battle stance, blue sparks decorating her form. Her silver eyes morph into a cyan as she fiercely glares at him.

"I don't think those are the words of a hero." He asserts in an ornery tone.

"Maybe because I'm not a hero." She snaps back. "I'll reconsider my words if you release him."

"Ah… Even though you're trembling, you're quite audacious." He utters, and her teeth bare.

"Put him down." She bites out, taking aim at him with her fingers. "This is your last chance."

"How about you join me instead?" He suggests, his next words making her let out a silent gasp. "This was your goal from the beginning, right? To kill Endeavor's son." He shakes Shoto like he's a sack of potatoes. "Now's your chance to redeem yourself."

Slowly, Hotaru lowers her hand and her hair falls over her face. Her fingers go slack, making her fists no more. Now, where did he get that from? Does he know her father? Is he associated with him? Now she's _really_ pissed off.

"I don't know who the hell you are, but let me make one thing clear—you're mistaken. Redeem myself? Please," Her entire form glows cyan, a lightning aura surrounding her. "The only way I can redeem myself right now is to kick your ass. Because right now, you're soiling my goal which has been the same since the very beginning, _which is to protect him_."

Her ducked head rises and reveals her thunderous eyes. Her form resembles a lightning storm, and the angry intent she's letting off resembles dark storm clouds. The speed she moves at is like a flash. She's behind the villain before he can blink.

She twists her body, raising her leg and aiming a kick at the left side of his chest. He raises his arm to block her strong kick and she smirks. _She got him._ The moment his arm comes in contact with her, her lightning travels into his body. She reaches towards Shoto until the villain's voice speaks.

"You're going to have to do better than that."

Her eyes enlarge as she realizes something. _He's still able to move._ He shouldn't be able to. His voice was strained so he's obviously feeling the pain. He's enduring it? Does he have an electric quirk? Or, _is he just that strong?_

She swiftly puts some distance between them by kicking off of him. Shocking him upon contact like that is useless. Then, she will just shock him with a lightning bolt itself. She should've done that from the start. Lightning is much more dynamic on its own when it's unrestrained. She forms a finger gun and takes aim.

A large bolt of lightning shoots out of her fingertips and barrels right towards him. Thunder makes the air tremor as a result of her lightning strike. He raises his hand and swings it through the air. His powerful swings creates a gale strong enough to redirect her lightning to the ceiling above. She grows pale at his insane power. _What the hell?_ Is this guy as strong as All Might? It's like fighting Nomu all over again.

"Damn…" She whispers under her breath, her teeth gritting. This isn't good. She can't figure his quirk out at all either. He's using his raw strength to create violent gusts of winds. She's at a huge disadvantage. _Can she even beat him?_ She shakes her head at that. She has to beat him. The only way to defeat someone isn't through a head on fight.

Saving Shoto is her number one priority, a large number of other things being a close runner up. She needs to stop him here before he reaches her classmates, or at least slow him down so everyone can escape. She's sure Koda will inform everyone of this horrible situation. Aizawa-sensei and Thirteen are still injured and can't fight. There are many things at stake. This time, definitely, _she'll protect everyone_.

"Hang on, Shoto. I'm…!" She crouches down slightly, her eyes locked onto him. "...Going to save you!"

The "villain" gets into a defensive stance when she becomes shroud with blue sparks once more. Her eyes narrow and glaze over perilously. She was being serious before, but now she's being more than that. She was only testing him earlier and now she's putting the pieces together. The "villain" smiles from beneath his mask. _She's smart._ However, he can't let her get too serious.

He's on a strict time limit and needs to hurry to the other students. Additionally, he knows for a fact she will fight till the bitter end, especially since he has her best friend captive. When it comes to him she always risks it all. Not only that, she's definitely stronger than she was weeks ago.

Fighting her seriously would be too troublesome. Getting hit by her quirk is… _very painful_. Even he can't treat her lightly. He'll end things quickly. Actually, wouldn't things be more interesting if he took her captive too? He knows she won't come willingly, though. She's too stirred up. It will be interesting to see how the students react to seeing two of their strongest classmates defeated.

"...Sorry, Young Aihara." He whispers under his breath.

Hotaru's silvery eyes widen when he vanishes from sight. Her wavy tresses become ruffled when she's hit with a sudden rush of air. An intimidating presence suddenly makes itself known from behind her. She tries to turn around, but suddenly, _her body doesn't listen to her_.

Her legs give out and she drops onto her knees. Pain starts to radiate from the back of her neck, and her trembling fingers slowly move towards it. Her eyelids become heavy. _Did he hit her?_ Everything's starting to become dark. At this rate, _Shoto will…!_ The villain's feet move closer to her.

"This… no…" She breathes out with much effort, fighting desperately to keep her eyes open. She's losing consciousness. He rendered her into this pathetic state so easily. She's been training so hard all this time, but he can outrun her effortlessly. He can overpower her easily. How can she possibly be a hero? Everything happened so fast. This isn't really happening, _is it?_

She stares at the unconscious Shoto who looks so blurry. Why does everyone hurt him? Even back then things were like this, and just like back then, she can't do anything. This wasn't supposed to happen. _She was supposed to save him._ She reaches out towards him one last time, tears of anguish stinging her eyes before darkness swallows her whole.

•○●○•

"Uraraka-kun! Jiro-kun!" Iida yells, making the two girls face him in confusion. He's running towards them at full speed.

"Wasn't he one of the injured?" Jiro questions, looking at Uraraka for confirmation. Before she can answer her, Iida yells again.

"Run away!"

The two of the gasp when Iida tackles them to the ground, shielding them from a powerful gust of wind that's carrying debris. Some buildings crumble as a result and the loud sound doesn't go unnoticed. Everyone nearby and hiding away become on edge.

"It's a villain!" Iida informs as he starts to sit up, making Jiro and Uraraka grow pale in fright. As if on cue, the villain starts to emerge from the cloud of dust he stirred up.

"What is he doing here?!" Uraraka cries out from her spot on the ground.

"Was he hiding?" Jiro bites out, sitting up and gasping when the villain becomes more visible. Her eyes grow wide and Uraraka grows even more pale.

"I-It can't be…! Impossible…!" Uraraka breathes out, her voice trembling. "Todoroki-kun?! A-And…?!" She gulps, scooting backwards. "Taru-chan?!"

Sure enough, the villain has both Todoroki and Hotaru held captive. He's hauling Todoroki by the khaki straps that go over his shoulders, and Hotaru by the silver chain that is wrapped around her waist, _all with a single hand_.

"T-The strongest in class…!" Uraraka rises onto her feet alongside Jiro, and Iida places himself in front of them both.

"That's why you should hurry to Sensei!" Iida urges.

"But…" Uraraka whispers, hesitant at doing that as she stares at her two classmates who are in trouble. The rest of her class gradually shows up one by one at the commotion.

"A villain?!" Midoriya exclaims.

"It can't be…!" Mineta speaks through his tightened throat, growing pale when his eyes land on Hotaru. "H-He has my woman?!"

"Dammit!" Kirishima curses. "Are you serious?!"

"Sensei, a villain!" Ojiro runs over to Aizawa and Thirteen, a panicked Koda accompanying him.

Aizawa looks over at the "villain." When he sees that Todoroki and Aihara are being held captive, he has the urge to bring his hand over his face. It's thanks to his bandages that he doesn't. This isn't going to end well… _for the villain._ He doesn't have any intentions to stop what is to come of this situation either.

"What a situation." Aizawa begins in false turmoil and rather leisurely. "We are injured and can't fight."

"Run!" Thirteen panics in a more believable way compared to Aizawa. He's too blunt to act. "Quickly, head to the exit!"

"You won't escape," The villain disagrees with that proposition, raising his foot off the ground. "I will finish all of you!"

He slams his foot down onto the concrete, creating the most powerful shockwave yet. All nearby and far buildings collapse and colossal clouds of dust rise. The ground quivers and everyone loses their footing. Mineta coughs due to the sooty air, slowly opening his eyes and screaming at the now clear terrain.

"What is this?!" He wails so loud it wouldn't be a surprise if the heavens heard him.

"S-So strong!" Kaminari shrinks back in fright.

"Such a guy was hidden?!" Kirishima looks around with wide eyes, Yaoyorozu doing the same.

"Alright. Now the terrain is clear." The villain breathes out, using his free hand to hold up a single finger. "Not one will escape!"

"It can't be!" Thirteen slowly rises onto her feet from afar, and Aizawa slowly walks up from behind her. "Hurry, run away!"

Midoriya gazes at the villain in shock. His power is beyond belief. Not only did he just showcase it, but the fact he defeated Todoroki and Aihara also is undeniable proof. What should he do? _He has to save them!_

Bakugo suddenly comes soaring into the scene, making a beeline right towards the villain. He growls as he approaches him with a vicious grin, reaching out and nailing him with a powerful blast. The villain, unaffected, forces him back with the swing of his arm. Bakugo lands in a crouch.

"You run; I will defeat him!" He declares, and the villain instantly rebukes.

"You have guts to decide something like that in such a moment!"

Unfazed, Bakugo proceeds to bombard him with a series of attacks. Midoriya watches uneasily, the wheels in his head turning. Mineta panics from his spot next to him.

"What an idiot! Why doesn't he think?! It's obvious he's much stronger!" He cries out. "He defeated my woman, and…!" His gaze is locked onto Hotaru and Todoroki. Their unconscious bodies are pressed together as a result of being held in the villain's same hand. His eye twitches. "It's not fair!"

Midoriya's fists clench as he watches Bakugo continue to attack. Mineta is wrong about him. He isn't the kind of person who doesn't think. He's doing as he must, just as he would. He's fighting to create an opening for everyone else.

"Hey! Don't worry about the others!" Bakugo says when he's forced back and ends up next to Iida. "Don't just stand there! Make those weaklings run away!"

"Why do you have to insult others?!" Iida's teeth bare as he stomps over the Bakugo.

"Hey, Bakugo!" Kirishima suddenly calls out, making his way over with his hands on his hips. "Who do you mean by 'those weaklings?'"

"We are the students of class A." Yaoyorozu joins in, positioning herself next to Kirishima as everyone else walks up from behind them, determined.

"We will all be heroes!" Uraraka affirms.

"How brave." The villain states, facing all of the students with his fist ready, _then the real fight begins._

He creates another shockwave by swinging his fist through the air. Debris starts to rain down, but it's rendered useless by Aoyama'a naval laser, Kirishima's hardening, and Sato's sugar rush. While they are occupied doing that, Jiro wastes no time to use her earphone jacks to transform her heartbeat into a violent vibration attack aimed right at the villain.

Sero joins in on the attack by using his tape to confine the villain, and Yaoyorozu creates a cannon to launch a net onto him. As a result, his movements become limited. Seeing they have the upper hand, Yaoyorozu yells.

"Now!"

Those with close ranged quirks start to sprint towards the villain to finish him off, while those with the ranged quirks hover back for support. Before they can even get close, the villain suddenly breaks free from his confinements and creates a powerful gust of wind to send everyone flying backwards.

"I didn't think you would all come to attack me." The villain says, clenching his fist. "It's unexpected, but with something so simple I—"

Bakugo trying to attack him makes his words come to an abrupt halt, and suddenly they are back at square one. Once again, Bakugo begins his rampage of attacks while everyone watches. Midoriya's eyes widen as an idea strikes him.

"Iida-kun! Mineta-kun! Uraraka-san, Asu—Tsuyu-chan!" He calls out to those closest to him, rising onto his feet with determined eyes. "I have an idea!"

For probably the millionth time, Bakugo is overpowered again. His teeth grit in frustration. _What the hell is with this guy's strength?!_ He breathes heavily from his crouched position on the ground, trying to catch his breath. He supposes he can see how that Lightning and Half-and-half bastard were defeated.

"It seems you are tired." The villain states as he cracks his neck. Clearly, he's not tired at all. "Time to end this."

"Don't make me laugh!" Bakugo rises onto his wobbly feet, sneering. Sweat trickles down his face. "I'm barely getting started!"

The moment he darts forward to attack yet again, _so does Midoriya_.

"Now!" Midoriya yells as he moves quickly towards Uraraka.

"Here I go!" She exclaims, slapping onto his hand and making him weightless.

"Asui-san!" Midoriya calls out, and Asui's frog-like tongue wraps around his waist like a rope.

"Call me Tsuyu-chan!" She demands as she swings him around, throwing him as far as she can.

Right when Bakugo attacks the villain with another large explosion, Midoriya closes in on him from behind. Fortunately, the villain is too preoccupied by Bakugo to notice him. This is most definitely his chance to save them. So far, _his plan is working._

When he's close enough, Uraraka releases him from her zero gravity. He reaches out with careful aim with Mineta's purple and sticky ball in his hand. He grabs a hold of Todoroki and Aihara with it, prying them from the villain's grip, shocking him and Bakugo.

He carefully sets them both on the ground before standing and facing the villain. Now it's time to wrap his plan up. He needs to move quickly before the villain recovers. With focused eyes, he raises his hand and his finger starts to glow.

"Here it goes, Smash!" He cries out, flicking his finger and creating a wind gust so power that can rival the villain's. The strong gust rams into the villain, _but that's all it does_. Instead of flying backwards like Midoriya wanted, he's still standing and blocking his attack.

"I-It didn't work?" Midoriya speaks through the pain of his now broken finger. He clutches at it, wincing.

"Weaklings should step aside!" Bakugo suddenly roars, soaring past him with steaming palms. "I will kill him!"

The villain isn't fast enough to recover from Midoriya's attack before Bakugo arrives. Bakugo smirks as he closes the distance between them. With the most powerful explosion yet, he manages to knock the villain off of his feet and send him flying. He rams into a big chunk of concrete with a grunt, sticking to it like glue as a result of Mineta's quirk.

"He did it! His plan worked!" Mineta leaps into the air with a grin. "Now he can't move!"

"Yes! He flew straight towards the spheres!" Iida smiles with the rest of the class. "Just as you planned, Midoriya-kun!"

"I'm glad." Midoriya smiles in relief, and Uraraka and Asui run over to him.

"We did it, Deku-kun!" Uraraka cheers.

"Impressive!" Asui smiles. Their words and closeness make his cheeks grow a hint darker.

"Thank you, it was thanks to you." He smiles further, looking ahead at Bakugo who's making his way towards the villain. "And also…"

Bakugo understood his plan and followed it through till the end. He stepped in and finished the job when he failed to. Midoriya's smile grows in size and his posture straightens. He's impressive.

"I-I can't move!" The villain panics as Bakugo walks up from behind him with a violent grin, his palms sparking.

"Now it's time for the final touch!" Bakugo raises his fist to supposedly go for this kill, and the villain struggles even more.

"W-Wait! I-I…!" His head comes popping out of his mask, and everyone gawks. "I am here!"

"All Might?!" Everyone cries out, and he laughs loudly.

"I wanted to make a surprise in which a villain appeared in the end." All Might explains with his naturally wide smile as everyone starts to crowd around him. "Well, the other day that happened. But, you did a great job. I wouldn't expect anything less from the hero course…" He gradually trails off at all the angry expressions surrounding him. Sweat glides down his temple. "That… I'm sorry."

"You went overboard, moron!" Bakugo, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero roar simultaneously.

Sero, Kirishima, and Kaminari stomp repeatedly on All Might who cries, and Bakugo continues to yell in anger. While they are doing that, Shoto slowly sits up. He shrugs his vest off since Mineta's ball is stuck to it and stands up. Midoriya looks over at his movements, his eyes widening.

"Todoroki-kun!" He says in surprise as he walks over, gaining Bakugo's attention.

"You were in on the surprise?!" Bakugo growls loudly, glaring at him with a popping vein.

Shoto redirects his gaze from them to the ground, nodding slightly while uttering a quiet apology. He didn't mind helping All Might and easily agreed to acting as an unconscious hostage. However, seeing how much worry that was caused because of this villain surprise doesn't feel very great. He looks over his shoulder and at Hotaru who is genuinely unconscious.

"And what about you, Lightning Bastard?!" Bakugo jabs a finger at Hotaru. "Were you in on it too?!"

"She wasn't." Shoto answers, making his way back over to her. Mineta is crouched on the ground next to her, holding onto her arm and trying to shake her awake.

"Taru-chan!" He cries out, tears building up in his eyes. "Are you okay?! Wake up!"

She doesn't respond to him and he panics. What should he do? His woman may as well be dying! He needs to take her to see Recovery Girl! _He needs too—!_ His eyes are suddenly drawn to her chest. It's not very impressive but… it's rising and falling. So, _she's breathing?_ It looks like it. However, he should check to be sure. Slowly and with bulging eyes, he reaches towards it. He's nearly there, _until…_

"Eek!" Mineta yelps when Shoto's foot abruptly punts him so far away he's now nothing but a meager dot.

"Aihara-san?" Shoto crouches down next to her and in the exact same spot Mineta was previously.

Just like with Mineta, she doesn't react to him at all. She remains out cold and a crease forms in his brow. His lips press together firmly when he recalls how she was the first one to try and save him. He even recalls the words she spoke. After everything today, what makes him feel the worst is how he made her of all people worry. He made her worry throughout his entire life.

Why does she always get hurt for his sake? In that sense, she hasn't changed at all. She really cherishes their past friendship that deeply? His eyes shut for a brief moment. He once claimed he wanted to forget their past friendship, but he can't seem to. In fact, he catches himself thinking of it more often as the days go by.

"Taru?" He tries again, and her eyelids twitch.

At a slow pace, her eyelids crack open to reveal her silvery orbs. They stare up at him. It's like she's not seeing him at first and her eyebrows knit together. A few seconds go by before she realizes it's him. Her lips part as she draws in a rickety breath.

"Shoto?" She murmurs.

"Yeah." He nods, confirming that he's here.

She starts to sit up, only to pause halfway when her head starts pounding. The heel of her hand presses against her forehead and she groans in pain. She nearly falls back down onto the ground until Shoto grabs a hold of her shoulders, helping her sit up.

"Where are we?" She questions weakly.

"U.S.J." He answers, and her nose scrunches up.

"Huh…?" She starts up in confusion before lightly shaking her head. That was a dumb question that doesn't matter. She asks another one that's far more important. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes meet his, gazing into them searchingly. She's gripping the sleeve of his shirt and his hands still hold her upright. Clearly she's worse off than him. In fact, he's unharmed yet she's more worried about him than herself? He didn't catch how exactly All Might knocked her unconscious, but he can confidently say it must've been painful.

"I'm fine." He answers, and she lets out a breath of relief. "Are you okay?"

"My head hurts." She admits, wincing at the throbbing headache that's currently torturing her. "But, I'm well enough."

She starts to move on her own and it's now no longer necessary for him to help her stay upright. Slowly, she rises onto her feet and he stands up after she does. She takes in their surroundings and takes a single step forward, losing her balance already. Shoto grabs onto her arm before she falls over.

"'Well enough.'" He quotes, her lips part to retort but nothing comes out. Silence hovers between them for a few seconds before she speaks.

"Actually…" She mumbles, her vision blurring in and out. Her hands move over her eyes, the brightness of their surroundings bothering her greatly and making her headache worse. "...If it's okay, c-can you help me to the nurse's office?"

"Sure."

Shoto moves in front of her and crouches down. Her brows furrow and her lips purse, her cheeks darkening somewhat as she stares down at him. He looks over his shoulder nonchalantly, and she nervously swallows.

Does he want her to do what she thinks he wants her to do? It's true her balance is nonexistent right now, and she really wants Recovery Girl to do something about this awful headache. _Dang it._ This will be the second time today she'll be held by him.

He doesn't say anything and neither does she. She moves onto his back and he stands up without warning. His arms loop beneath her knees and her arms hang loosely around his neck. She briefly gets a face-full of his hair, catching a whiff of its fresh mountain scent. As quickly as she can, she turns her head away from him and becomes drawn to an interesting scene.

Kaminari, Kirishima, and Sero are beating up All Might. Her head tilts ever so slightly. What all happened while she was unconscious? Did All Might come and save them from the villain again? That doesn't explain why her classmates are beating him up though. Her eyes widen when she notices what exactly All Might is wearing.

"Hey…" She taps repeatedly on Shoto's shoulder as he starts walking. "Why is All Might dressed as that villain?"

"He was the villain." He reveals, making her freeze.

"…"

Shoto looks over his shoulder to see Hotaru glaring intensely at All Might. Her eyes are glazed over in fury. _He_ was the villain? So, it was actually All Might who made her think Shoto was in danger, who made her get so stirred up by mentioning the goal her parents had for her, _and who knocked her out…?_

"Turn back around." She murmurs vacantly. "I want to beat him up too."

"No."

"Sho," She glares at him. "Just do it!"

"I don't think you're in well enough condition to do that." He rolls his eyes, and she frowns deeply.

"Then, just let me say a few things!"

"No."

"Don't you want to say something to him too? He knocked you unconscious." She says, and he looks off to the side. Her jaw drops. "W-Wait. Don't tell me you weren't actually unconscious? You went along with it?!"

"...Sorry." He apologies almost inaudibly.

"You really are the meanest person ever." She whispers, her eyelids lowering slightly. "Don't do things like that. I was really worried about you."

"You don't have to worry about me so much." He says, looking back ahead.

Her eyes widen slightly before she smiles softly. If he wants her to do that, he should stop giving her things to worry about. Back when they first met, she was worried he wasn't living a happy life. Throughout the years, she was worried about his safety. She's still worried about these things even now.

"Then, stop giving me things to worry about." She shuts her eyes, a smile still on her face. "Tell you what. I'll only stop worrying when you smile."

"Smile?" He repeats with furrowed brows. She nods, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Her next words make his breath get caught in his throat, and his eyes enlarge. He falters in his step slightly, and she tenderly smiles at him with rose dusted cheeks. It's a familiar expression with even more familiar words. It makes him feel wistful. There's a pang in his chest and he looks to the ground almost bashfully.

"You should really smile more, Shoroki."

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Roaring Sports Festival

❤•○●○•❤

He really is like a whole different person today. Towards her and everyone else, he's acting as cold as ice and as scorching as fire. Her silver eyes stare at the back of his head and her fingers curl into tight fists. She supposes this is how things are meant to be. Everyone is acting like hungry lone wolves and there's only one food source— _the number one spot_. The atmosphere is brutal and it's almost like she's being forced back to her villainous ways.

"Since we're obviously all picking out our rivals, openly and secretly, I guess I'll do so too. Shoto," She stands up from her chair with a smirk and a perilous gaze. "I'm going to be the one to beat you. I'm..." Her smirk grows in size when he faces her with a glare. "...Stronger than you."


	23. Roaring Sports Festival

**Oblivious IJ:** hehe~ your ship senses seem pretty accurate. ヽ(^◇^*)/ that's going to be an interesting discovery for him, isn't it? ehe.

 **kirika o7:** ahaha ❤ (* ^ ω ^) , i'm happy you enjoyed it! they're so cute ❤ i hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **pinkpaladin:** really?! crying, thank you so much! ❤ that makes me so unbelievably happy. i'll continue to try my best for you ! it's my absolute pleasure! thank you so much for reading~! (*´▽`*) more Shinso scenes coming up!

 **spacegremlin:** crunch ! o(*°▽°*)o

 **bbymojo:** had to throw in a bunch of Shotaru moments ! ❤ so happy you enjoyed it! they are moving forward one step at a time, but may be taking a backwards step bc of the sports festival aha. you're right about that for sure! thanks so much, and i hope you enjoy this chapter! (´ ∀ ` *) also, present for you at the end of chapter ~

 **Toast:** awe, i hope you got some sleep ❤ ❤ ! thank you so much! you've really touched my heart. it is going to be a little stressful, but don't worry ! things will look up, they always do (⁀ᗢ⁀) (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و !

 **lovelyhatter:** aaahh, thank you a ton! i smiled the whole time reading your review, ha ~ ! your words literally mean so much and brought happy tears to my eyes. I'm kind've speechless! ❤ ❤ ❤ thank you! i hope you enjoy this chapter!

•○●○•

 **i totally did not neglect homework get this chapter done?**

 **i did. haha.** ╰(▔∀▔)╯

 **i'll work on my homework now, then. lol**

 **i hope everyone is enjoying their weekend, and i hope you enjoy this chapter, too!  
**

 **i apologize for any errors, and thank you so much for reading.**

 **i'm going to forever thank you guys bc i'm literally so grateful to all of you!**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Roaring Sports Festival

❤•○●○•❤

"You're really quiet." Daichi muses, glancing over at Hotaru from the driver's seat. "Today's the big day. You should be excited."

She really should be excited. Honestly, she didn't think she would make it this far. Today may as well be the biggest day of her life. This is something she couldn't even dream of, something she couldn't foresee. Yet, here she is and feeling anything but excited. Too many thoughts weigh heavily on her mind.

The thought of messing up in some way or form terrifies her, and the thought that her training won't be enough worries her incredibly. She tried to mentally prepare herself before she went to bed and failed. She knows the gist of the sports festival, but she's not sure what to expect. There are going to be so many heroes there and watching her, _an ex-villain_.

"I'm nervous." She whispers, staring out the window dismally. "I'm scared that nothing will come from this, and I wonder if this whole dream of mine is pointless." Her lips curve upwards forcefully. "What if no hero recruits me? I wonder what they'll think of me, too."

When Daichi slows the car down to a stop at a red light, he turns his head in her direction. Her hands are resting in her lap and her fingers hold a slight tremble. This would be the first time he's seen her so insecure and diffident.

"Since when have you ever cared about what people thought of you?" He inquires with a small smile, nudging her. "Come on, where's the stubborn and persistent Hotaru I know?"

"Since when their thoughts mattered." She answers his first question, tilting her head back so it presses against the headrest. "I'm my father's daughter. I'm my mother's daughter, too. Lightning Beast and Two-Face—everyone knows me as theirs."

"Hey, you may be surprised." Daichi shrugs and looks back ahead when the light turns green. "Don't have a mindset like that."

Hotaru looks over at his smiling face, the morning sun making his golden eyes shine sweetly like honey. He reaches over and turns the air conditioning down, making the sound of the blowing air nearly vanish.

"There's no changing that they are your parents, but that doesn't make you a prisoner to them." He begins, and her lips gradually part. "You're nothing like them and you're your own person. I for one never viewed you as a villain. No way. You're very thoughtful and caring, always placing others before yourself."

Daichi pulls up to the front of the prodigious hero school, putting the car in park and facing her with a grin. Her silver eyes are wide, and her cheeks are a light shade of pink in awe at his words. She's been rendered speechless.

"I'm not saying this will be easy. Actually, it's probably going to be more challenging for you than anyone else. But, don't let people's thoughts limit what you can do, alright? You've been working so hard. Go in there and show everyone what you're made of." Daichi holds out his fist. "Go in there as Hotaru Aihara, my assistant Park Ranger, and beat the crap out of everyone!"

Instantly, Hotaru's eyes soften. Her hand rises over her mouth as she laughs and her shoulders quiver. She shakes her head lightly and her hair sways as a result. That last line of his was priceless. Just like that, she feels so much better. She's clinging to every word spoken. With a smile, she makes her own fist and bumps it against his.

"Thank you, Daichi." She beams brightly. "I'll definitely do my best."

"You better." He nods as she starts to undo her seatbelt. "I'll be watching and cheering you on for sure."

Hotaru opens the car door and climbs out. The morning breeze greets her instantly, ruffling up her hair and attire. She raises her hand to keep her wavy tresses out of her face and closes the door with a smile. She waves at Daichi as he departs, slowly lowering her hand and staring after him. Just how lucky is she to have someone like him in her life?

She turns, staring up the flight of stairs and at her school. Her teachers and classmates… _Shoto_. She lets out a breath. _She's incredibly lucky to have them all_. Just standing here is a streak of luck.

"Luck…" She murmurs to herself, lowering her eyelids. Or, is it a blessing? Either way, she's grateful. She's going to give her all today. Holding back isn't an option. If she does that, everything up till now may as well be pointless. She inhales deeply, clenching her fists in determination while staring up at the blue sky.

The sound of a car motor approaching from behind her brings her out of her uplifting thoughts. She looks over her shoulder to see a black car. The passenger door opens before the car comes to a complete stop. Her eyes widen when she sees a severely angered Shoto stepping out of the car, and her jaw drops when Endeavor comes stomping out from the other side.

"Shoto!" He bellows, making Shoto scowl deeply.

Shoto takes heavy steps in her direction, his eyes downcast with a dark shadow over his face. She slowly raises her hand to greet him with a wave, but he doesn't even take notice. He passes by her expeditiously and her hand drops back to her side. She stares after him worriedly. Is he okay?

"You!" Endeavor suddenly yells and she jumps, turning around instantly to see he's making his way towards her. She straightens her posture and faces him, bowing politely.

"Good morning, Endeavor." She greets respectfully, clasping her hands together behind her back when she finishes her bow. She frowns slightly. "My name is Hotaru Aihara, you know."

"You haven't contacted me." He speaks sharply, ignoring her words which makes her frown deepen.

"You said to contact you whenever I hear from my parents, which hasn't happened." She explains. "If that's so upsetting, should I call you to engage in idle chit-chat?"

"Don't get smart with me, _villain_." He jabs a finger at her while his flames grow more intense, and she sighs loudly.

"Hey, you were being rude first. I was just responding in kind." She shrugs indifferently, making his eye twitch. "Shall we start over?"

"You—!"

Their bickering is cut short when Shoto suddenly grabs onto Hotaru's wrist. Her eyes widen when he starts walking off with her in tow. She nearly trips over her own two feet at how fast he's moving. Endeavor stares after them with an ajar mouth, his own eyes wide. It doesn't take long for him to get out of his stunned state and become enraged.

"W-Wait a second, Shoto!" Hotaru speaks when they reach the top of the stairs. "What's going on? Are you alright?"

Shoto releases her instantly as if she's poison, and her breath gets caught in her throat. His livid eyes are staring right into her own. They are so intense it makes her take a step back. What's with that expression? It's like time has inverted. She turns her head and looks down the flight of stairs they just climbed, zoning in on Endeavor.

"Did he do something?" She whispers in question, gazing back at Shoto worriedly. "Should I say something? Or…" His teeth bare and she brings both of her hands over her throbbing chest. "Is there anything I can do?"

He responds with words that cut right through her, right before walking off and leaving her standing alone.

"Mind your own business."

•○●○•

Instead of reporting straight to class like any other day, everyone was given instructions to meet in a specific waiting room at the Sports Festival Stadium, and come dressed in their athletic uniform. It's unfortunate since Hotaru was hoping to talk to Aizawa before all of this began.

Upon arriving here by the school bus, she was able to catch a glimpse of the many heroes gathering. There are already so many of them here and even more are pooling in. It's a limitless amount. Perhaps she would be feeling nervous once more if her mind wasn't elsewhere.

"Mind… my own business?" She whispers beneath her breath and inaudibly.

Her silver eyes stare blankly ahead at the wall from her spot next to Yaoyorozu, her fingers slowly curling into fists. Her teeth grit. He made it her business by snatching her away from Endeavor with no explanation. _He_ was the one who wasn't minding _his_ own business.

Clearly, something must have happened. Why else would he be so petulant all of a sudden? The relationship he has with his father… it's really as bad as she suspected, isn't it? Her eyelids drape over her eyes. This was her first time actually seeing it with her own eyes. What kind of things did he endure?

She shouldn't be worrying about this now. What she should be doing is focusing on preparing herself for the Sports Festival which will begin any moment now. However, it's hard not to worry about him. She really can't stand it when he's hurt, _and when she can't do anything to help him._

She glances at Shoto, seeing he's standing all alone and away from others. Her lips press together firmly, and she reverts her gaze back to the blank wall ahead. The worst thing is that it doesn't look like he wants to be helped either.

"Everyone, are you ready?" Iida suddenly comes bursting into the room, and she looks over. "We will be entering soon!"

Her stomach knots up as her nerves return instantly at that. _Already?_ Time is moving quickly. Everyone around her grows anxious in some shape or form. Silence hovers in the air. She draws in yet another deep breath, lightly fanning her face with her hand.

"Midoriya." Shoto's voice unexpectedly speaks out, grabbing her attention and everyone else's.

She looks over, watching as Shoto walks up to Midoriya who's standing in the center of the room. A single hand is in his pocket, and the way he moves is almost aggressive. Her lips part and she straightens up in her seat. It's rare for him to be the first to call out to someone.

"Todoroki-kun?" Midoriya questions nervously, facing him. "What is it?"

"Looking at things objectively, I think I'm stronger than you." Shoto states, making Hotaru slump back in her seat with an agape mouth, thinking to herself;

 _What the hell?_

"H-Huh?" Midoriya breathes out, caught off guard. However, his shoulders sag and his head lowers slightly. "Y-Yeah…"

"But…" Shoto's eyes grow intense, and Midoriya pales slightly. "All Might has his eye on you, doesn't he? I'm not trying to pry about that. But, I'm going to beat you."

A deep silence lingers in the air afterwards, and tension grows thick and spreads throughout the room. Hotaru's eyes narrow slightly and Kaminari lets out a nervous laugh at what just transpired.

"Oh?" Kaminari begins, sweat forming on his temple. "Is the best in class making a declaration of war?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Kirishima quickly stands from his seat and makes his way into the scene, grabbing onto Shoto's shoulder to ease the growing tension. "Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden? Not now, we are about to start!"

Shoto roughly shrugs Kirishima off of him, even elbowing him in the process. Hotaru's eye twitches in irritation, her lips downturning severely. She glares at the back of Shoto's head, her fingertips drumming against the tabletop. Suddenly, she feels like a storm in its developing stages. She should say something.

"We're not here to play at being friends." Shoto turns away from everyone, beginning to walk off. "So, what does it matter?"

After those words, she grows numb. He may as well have just punched her in the gut. _Not here to play at being friends?_ After everything that's happened thus far, does he not consider her a friend at all?

"Todoroki-kun," Midoriya speaks bravely and before she can even join in the fray. Shoto looks over his shoulder at him. "I don't know what you're thinking when you say you'll beat me, but of course you're better than me. I think you're more capable than most people… looking at it objectively..."

"M-Midoriya," Kirishima smiles at him while holding his hands up nervously. "You probably shouldn't talk so negatively—"

"But…!" Midoriya continues, and Hotaru is rendered breathless. "Everyone…! Even the students from other courses are aiming for the top with everything they've got! I can't afford to fall behind. I'll be going for it with everything I have, too."

Midoriya meets Shoto's eyes with a severe gaze, unwavering. His fists are clenched and nothing but determination radiates from him. He's accepting Shoto's declaration of war, which makes Shoto face him with eyes more intense than before.

"Right." Shoto utters, and Bakugo's teeth bare slightly.

He really is like a whole different person today. Towards her and everyone else, he's acting as cold as ice and as scorching as fire. Hotaru's silver eyes stare at the back of his head and her fingers curl into tight fists. She supposes this is how things are meant to be.

Everyone is acting like hungry lone wolves and there's only one food source—the number one spot. The atmosphere is brutal and it's almost like she's being forced back to her villainous ways.

Midoriya did a flawless job standing up for himself. He's clearly growing stronger and she's happy about that. However, she isn't satisfied. The air in here is almost suffocating and she really can't stand bullies. The fact that Shoto's being one and still glaring at Midoriya sends her over the edge.

"Since we're obviously all picking out our rivals, openly and secretly, I guess I'll do so too. Shoto," She stands up from her chair with a smirk and a perilous gaze. "I'm going to be the one to beat you. I'm…" Her smirk grows in size when he faces her with a glare. "...Stronger than you."

"Oh?" He murmurs in a low and dangerous tone, his eyes flashing. Sparks pass between their eyes and Mineta looks between them in a panic.

"Yes." She moves closer to him, rising on the tips of her toes and whispering in his ear. "So, be careful."

He takes a backwards step from her in disgust, and she brings her hand over her mouth as she lets out a laugh. Her head ducks and her curly tresses briefly shield her face. She bends over and places her hands on her knees as she continues to giggle, and Kaminari gasps when she starts to straighten up.

Her cheeks are flushed and her irises have shrunk in size, but they are somehow as deep and beckoning as a black hole. She raises her hand and glides her index finger over her bottom lip, lightly tugging on it as she smiles beguiling way. She takes a step closer to an extremely unsettled Shoto as she licks her lips.

"What's wrong?" She softly harmonizes, holding out her hand to him. "Won't you accept my challenge?" Her head tilts to the side and her curls bound. "Don't disappoint me, Todoroki~!"

Shoto remains frozen as a result of her seducing actions. Hotaru's hand is suddenly snatched by Mineta's own. He took and fell for the bait even though it wasn't being offered to him. She looks over at him with a dull expression, disappointed. Kaminari darts over to her with red cheeks.

"W-Wait! Was that…?!" He stutters out, and she looks over at his flustered face. "What the heck was that?!"

"Two-Face." She answers, and everyone gawks as their thoughts are confirmed. "You guys wanted to see me imitate her, so I did. I didn't do her creepy aura though. There are too many heroes here for me to do that."

"The expression is unsettling enough!" Jiro exclaims.

"G-Give us a warning next time!" Sero stutters out and she laughs.

"Sorry." She apologies with a tiny smile, looking back towards Shoto. "I just thought this was the ideal opportunity for it."

"You're disgusting." Shoto bites out with an icy stare, and her eyes shine vacantly.

"Stop being such a bully. I don't like how you hit Kirishima and how you talked to Midoriya." She responds without delay, and his eyes widen. "Just because you're in a bad mood doesn't give you an excuse to act in such an unbecoming way towards others. _You're_ being disgusting. And..." She yanks her hand from Mineta's to make him stop stroking it. "So are you!"

"Urgh!" Bakugo slams his hands onto the table and stands up, making his chair fall backwards. "I'm stronger than all of you!"

•○●○•

"It's time for the students to enter the first-year stage!" Present Mic's voice hypes up the already boisterous crowd. "The miraculous new stars who overcame enemy attacks with hearts of steel! Hero course, Class 1-A, right?!"

Hotaru didn't think the audience could grow any louder, but the moment she exits the dark entry tunnel and steps out into the open stadium, she's proven wrong. She's half tempted to bring her hands over her ears to block the many screams out. However, her pulse is much louder than the countless people around her.

She doesn't think she's ever been so nervous before. There's a tremble in her appendages and she actually feels nauseous. _Even her teeth are on the verge of chattering._ This isn't good. She urges herself to calm down but it's in vain.

If she throws up right here and now she'll die of humiliation. How does she make this feeling go away? Her eyes suddenly enlarge. _A pressure point_. Shoto said there was a pressure point in her foot somewhere to help with nausea. But, _where is it?_

Quickly, she looks over at Shoto to ask only for her lips to seal together tightly. As if she would talk to him now. Her fingers curl into fists. He's being a complete jerk and didn't even apologize to Midoriya or Kirishima. She doesn't want to talk to him. In fact, just looking at him now is difficult.

Averting her gaze from him, she starts to think of what Aizawa would tell her right now instead. He would probably tell her to take in a deep breath, hold it for three seconds, then release it. He would tell her to showcase the results of her training. Maybe he would even tell her to stop being a baby. Yes, that's exactly what he would say.

She draws in a deep breath and counts to three in her head, leveling out the beats of her anxious heart. Then, she recalls Daichi's words and nods to herself. _Beat the crap out of everyone._ That's what she needs to do. She can't afford to be slowed down by her emotions.

Everyone here is fighting for the same thing. She needs to shut everything else out and reach for the number one spot. Nothing else matters. This is what she's been training for. There are so many watching eyes. _Daichi, Aizawa, Nezu, and All Might_ , they are among those eyes.

They're rooting for her and she can't let them down. _She won't let them down_. They saved her and gave her this chance to be here. This is her chance to see what they see. This is her chance to tip the scales and show the world that she _can_ be a hero.

The rest of the first-year students come flooding into the stadium, making it full of students from classes A through K. Everyone gathers in the center of the stadium and right in front of the platform Midnight stands upon. Hotaru thinks it's now safe to assume that she'll be hosting this entire thing. She bumps against someone, or someone bumps against her. She can't tell.

"Sorry," She instantly apologizes, although growing tense when she looks over to see just who she bumped against. Shinso's dark violet eyes are staring into her own and he doesn't speak a word. She doesn't really want to stand next to him.

With a sheepish smile, she takes a backwards step only to bump into someone else. She starts to say another apology until she looks up into exquisite mismatched eyes… _that are glaring._ She doesn't want to stand next to Shoto, either. Her smile fades and she gulps, looking around in a panic. There are way too many people and she's starting to feel claustrophobic. She's trapped.

"Ugh, that's that villain, isn't it?" A whisper from afar is picked up by her ears.

"Why is she even here?" Someone else mutters.

"She looks just like her nasty parents."

"Does she actually think she can become a hero?"

Hotaru brings her hand over her face with a sigh. Already, she's being judged. She was so worried about what the heroes in the audience would be saying that she completely forgot about how the students here berate her. It can't be helped. They can say what they want. Today, she's not going to respond to those who rudely gossip. There's no reason for her to waste her breath. She's going to let her performance today speak for her.

"Time for the player pledge!" Midnight's voice cuts through the air, and she slashes her whip. The crowd grows quiet, but not because of the upcoming pledge.

Hotaru's lips purse as she listens to the faint voices of the audience gush over how beautiful Midnight is. They aren't wrong. Hotaru thinks Midnight is very beautiful, too. However _,_ she looks off to the side with slightly red cheeks. Why are they saying such thoughts out loud?

"W-What is Midnight-sensei wearing?" Kirishima stutters out with tinted cheeks.

"That's an R-Rated Hero for you." Kaminari nods, his cheeks red as well only he doesn't seem to mind the sight.

"Is it okay for her to be at a high school even though she's R-Rated?" Tokoyami asks a very thought-provoking question.

"Yes!" Mineta answers that question without delay, giving a thumbs up.

Hotaru looks over at them, seeing they aren't that far away. Moving over to them crosses her mind, but she remains rooted in the same spot. If she were to go over to them, she would have to squeeze her way through the many bodies. That's not something she wants to do. She remains stuck standing right between Shinso and Shoto. How disappointing.

"Quiet, everyone!" Midnight slashes her whip seriously, and everyone's lips seal shut. "Representing the students is Katsuki Bakugo from Class 1-A!"

"What?" Midoriya breathes out in shock. "It's Kacchan?"

"Well that guy _did_ finish first in the entrance exam." Sero states.

"In the _hero_ course." A brunette girl calls out to them in annoyance.

It's evident that she hates the hero course. Actually, that seems to be a common thing among students who aren't in the hero course. Hotaru's lips purse. Are they angry that they didn't make it to classes A or B? Jealous? _Or…_ She glances at Shinso with a tiny frown, her fingers curling into the fabric of her clothing. _Insecure?_

Bakugo walks up the small flight of stairs to join Midnight on the platform. His hands are shoved into his pockets. Hotaru watches him quietly as he moves in front of the microphone, wondering what kind of pledge he'll say on everyone's behalf. She hopes it's something good to encourage everyone.

"I pledge…" Bakugo begins, and she nods to herself as she takes that in. "...That I'll be number one."

"Huh?" Hotaru drags out, her nose scrunching up in distaste.

All of the students start booing and reprimanding him. Hotaru merely shakes her head. She should've known he would say something as inconsiderate as that. He's really making everyone hate the hero course more and more, which is sure to make this whole thing even more difficult than it's supposed to be. Everyone's fired up now. Perhaps Bakugo did spread encouragement in his own violent way.

"Now, let's get started right away." Midnight grins in excitement when Bakugo takes his leave. Things really are moving fast. "The first game is what you'd call a qualifier! Every year, many drink their tears here! Now, here's that fateful first game!"

A giant holographic screen appears behind Midnight, and it's rapidly shuffling the many first game options. Hotaru's lips part as she watches. They really do choose these things randomly. It's kind of baffling. The shuffling stops after a few seconds, and her eyes widen.

"An obstacle race?" She whispers to herself, this not being what she expected. Releasing a heavy breath, she looks to the ground. She hopes this race isn't long, since she still detests spending so much energy.

"All eleven classes will participate in this race." Midnight explains. "The course will be the outer circumference of this stadium—about four kilometers. Our school's selling point is freedom." She drags her tongue across her lips. "As long as you stay on the course, it doesn't matter what you do! Now, take your places everyone!"

Hotaru's jaw drops and she grows pale. _Four kilometers?_ It's safe to say the universe is now against her and her dreams. It wants her to suffer. Shoto spares her a glance, knowing just what she's thinking and panicking over.

She's panicking as she should. If this was a short distance race, he would worry about being able to beat her. However, he's not worried in the slightest. When it comes to doing anything that requires physical strength or maintaining stamina, she's always been incapable.

His old man is here and watching. He'll win just by using his right side and prove that bastard wrong. He won't show mercy to anyone who stands in his way. He's going to rise to the top, _even if it means crushing her in the process_. This is his revenge.

His teeth grit and he's suddenly glaring at her. Her earlier words and vile actions are fresh in his mind. It makes him think of the villain she was. _He'll be the one to beat her_.

Easily sensing his glare, Hotaru looks over and meets his eyes with an unwavering gaze. He really is like an erupting volcano today. She's really sick of his glaring eyes. Her patience with him has run out. She claimed she was going to let her actions speak for her today, but she's going to say some words now.

"You're thinking this is going to be easy, aren't you? I'm going to tell you the same thing I told your father when he thought the same thing regarding me." She murmurs, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Don't underestimate me. If you do, you'll end up losing like he did."

Something in Shoto snaps and his glare grows more intense. _His eyes look just like Endeavor's._ Her silver orbs glare right back at him, _mirroring Lightning Beast's._ The tension surrounding them grows and it's like a storm is brewing over them.

"You should take your own advice." Shoto bites out, and her eyes narrow.

He shoves his way past her towards the start line, and perhaps she would've fallen onto her bottom if it wasn't for Shinso steadying her. A shadow has fallen over her face as she stares vacantly at the ground. Her blood is boiling. _Damn it_. She should've kept her mouth shut. Why is it so hard to do that when it comes to him? Why is he being so abhorrent? She can't take it anymore.

"Are you alright?" Shinso asks her, his hand falling away from her back. Her throat is so painfully tight she doesn't want to torture it further by speaking, but he caught her before she fell. She can't not acknowledge his help.

"Yeah," She whispers, slowly looking up at him with a small smile. "Thank you—"

The moment she responds to him, it feels as if heavy shackles have been draped over her. Everything becomes warped and static fills her ears. The color of her eyes fades away and renders them empty. _What's happening?_ Her body, her head… _it doesn't belong to her anymore_.

She gasps heavily when someone rams into her from behind. Her breaths are ragged and hoarse as she stares at the ground. She has fallen onto her hands and knees, her fingers curled tightly into the grass and pulling the blades out to the roots. Sweat drips from her chin and she blinks rapidly, her vision blurry.

"What…?" She murmurs to herself, just as Present Mic's loud voice reaches her ears.

"What is she doing?! Is she daydreaming?!" He delivers commentary to the roaring crowd, although it feels like he's actually calling out to her. "The race has started, you know!"

Hotaru remains frozen. It takes a few seconds for his words to process. The race… _has started?_ That's impossible. Midnight didn't even call for the race to start. Is he messing with her? She looks up and gasps, growing pale when she sees everyone is already deep in the tunnel leading outside the stadium. _He's right._ What the hell?

"No," She breathes out, rising onto her feet and desperately running after them. "No, no, no!"

She enters the dark tunnel, her eyes stinging with frustrated tears. _What happened?_ She can't remember anything from the point Shinso steadied her till now. Her jaw locks in place and her teeth gnash together. _Shinso._ He did something. From the moment she answered him, she was completely out of it. _He took control over her._ He got inside her head. He… _brainwashed her._ That's his quirk.

Her nostrils flare and her teeth bare. Blue sparks adorn her skin and her eyes morph into a glowing cyan. _That bastard_. Now she's fallen behind. She can't afford to be behind like this. An angry aura rolls off of her like rapidly altering storm clouds. He wanted war, _so she'll gladly give it to him._

Her movements accelerate as she carefully channels her lighting within herself. She was going to save this for later, but she needs to catch up. She'll only use this technique briefly to save the rest of her energy for later. Her lips part as she draws in a sharp breath. She needs to calm down. Being angry like this is doing her more harm than good. Right now, she's shutting everything else out and going beyond;

 _Plus Ultra._

It doesn't take her long at all to reach the end of the crowd. Instead of squeezing her way through, she hovers behind them. People are shoving and being ruthlessly jostled. Joining that fray doesn't seem like a very wise choice at all. There's no way she can overpower them all— _oh_.

She stares at her hand, generating lightning in it. Midnight said they could do whatever they want as long as they stay on course. So, she has the option of shocking them. Her lips curve upwards into a devious smirk and she extends her fingers, making the shape of a gun. It's a cruel choice, but everyone here is her enemy. She hopes Shinso is in this crowd somewhere.

"This is for you~" She softly harmonizes to herself, her villain side most definitely showing in her revengeful state. Just before she releases her lightning strike, the temperature rapidly drops and ice spreads throughout the tunnel. Her feet are confined in an icy prison, gluing her to the ground.

She stares down at her feet blankly, letting her hand drop back to her side. Evidently Shoto had the same thought as her to attack at this opportune moment. She hates to admit it, but his ice is far more effective than what she was planning to do with her lightning.

Her lightning would only paralyze them for a short moment, but his ice is able to stop them permanently. She slowly smiles as another thought strikes her. His actions have really given her a huge advantage. It's so huge of one that she's no longer angry at Shinso. In a way, Shinso helped her too by making her linger behind the crowd.

She melts the ice confining her feet with her lightning, then walks over to the concrete wall that's now covered in a thick layer of ice. The breath escaping her is clouded due to the cold air, and her eyes sparkle happily as she inwardly thanks Shoto for this.

Her sparking fist knocks against the ice, and she nods in approval. It's thick enough. Ice is a poor conductor, but it's a conductor regardless. She takes a couple backwards steps, crouching slightly before running at the wall full speed. She jumps and channels lightning at the soles of her feet, running across the wall with ease and so naturally like she's that nerdy spider hero.

Shoto looks over his shoulder as he continues to run after he releases his icy attack, seeing more people outside of Class A were able to avoid it than he thought. Just before he focuses back ahead, he catches sight of Hotaru running across the icy wall. She leaps down gracefully when the tunnel comes to an end, continuing to run without any problems by melting his ice with each step she takes.

His now narrowed eyes are drawn away from her when a tiny shadow falls over him. He looks up, his eyes widening somewhat when he sees Mineta soaring through the air. His tiny finger points at him accusingly, his expression maniacal.

"I outwitted you, Todoroki! How pathetic!" He begins moving his arms around in a weird and unsettling fashion. "Take this! My special attack!" He yanks a purple ball from his scalp, getting ready to launch it at him. "Gra—!"

A giant robot rams into him from out of the blue, interrupting his speech and attack. Mineta cries out loudly, his body twisting through the air as he's sent flying. Sparkling tears fall from his eyes and drool from his mouth. He lands roughly on the ground, rolling across it.

"Mineta-kun!" Midoriya calls out to him in worry. However, his attention is forcefully drawn away from him at the enemies gathering just ahead. There are countless red eyes glaring, and so many colossal robots.

"Targets found…" Their red eyes glow brightly. "Lots!"

"The faux villains from the entrance exam?" Midoriya gets out between his teeth, becoming guarded. There are even a great amount of zero-point faux villains.

"Obstacles have shown up suddenly! Starting with..." Present Mics voice yells out from the speakers. "...the first barrier! Robo Inferno!"

"Aren't those the zero-point villains from the entrance exam?!" Kaminari blurts out.

"Seriously? The hero course had to fight those?!" Someone else cries out.

"This is what they meant by obstacles?!"

"There are too many! I can't get through!"

Everyone panics at the sight of the faux villains. Unlike them, Shoto merely stares at them, unimpressed. This is the best they could do? His eyelids briefly drape over his eyes and he mutters to himself.

"So, this is what they used in the general entrance exam?" He glares up at the nearest zero-point faux villain. Already, it's moving to attack, _and he's the target_. "If they went through all this trouble, I wish they would've prepared something better..."

Ice forms from beneath his right foot, and frost travels up his right arm from his fingertips. He lowers his ice coated hand to the dirt ground and crouches, turning the terrain into his own glacial playground. Large crystal structures burst from the ground around him and his hair whips. The warm air turns frigid. He looks up at the faux villain's hand that's dangerously close to crushing him.

"...Since my stupid old man is watching." He finishes quietly and begins to straighten up.

He swings his arm with vigorous force, his ice adhering to his movements and desire. Just before the large metallic hand can crush him, large shards of ice and frost overtake its colossal form, overpowering it effortlessly. The zero-point villain is rendered into nothing but a block of ice, stiff and frozen in time. Shoto lowers his arm, wasting no time to run forward and through the opening he created— _an opening for himself only_.

"He stopped them!" Someone cheers out from the chilly fog.

"Between their legs! We can get through!"

"I wouldn't if I were you." Shoto calls back at them, making those who were about to run forward stop in their tracks. "I froze them when they were unbalanced." The faux villains he froze start to tumble. "They'll fall over."

"Todoroki from Class 1-A! He attacked and defended in one hit! How elegant!" Present Mic cheers. "Amazing! He's the first one through! As expected from someone who got in through recommendations—! Huh?!"

"Oh." Aizawa can't help but to utter.

"Sorry." Hotaru says with a smile. "But, I can't let you get all of the attention."

Her luminous form moves swiftly through the thick polar fog. Her hair, staticky and wild flows behind her. A shadow falls over her and her cyan eyes look up, zoning in on the zero-point faux villain plunging in her direction. The thick and gleaming ice covering it acts like an extra layer of armor.

Shoto exquisitely made sure no one can use his actions to their own advantage. She can't run between their legs or around them. His ice is an unyielding barrier. The faux villain is seconds away from crushing her. As a result, there's only one path she can take. It's a path that'll surely draw her attention— _the best path._ That's what this whole festival is all about, right?

She suddenly crouches, her fingers brushing against the icy ground. Clouded breath escapes her lips, and lightning discharges from her body. Blue sparks coil around her like a deadly serpent before gathering at her fingertips. The temperature rises and the icy terrain morphs into one of scalding water, making steam spew into the air.

The ground beneath her feet becomes decorated in cracks as it dries out, and she raises her hand and takes aim at the zero-point faux villain. Her lips curve upwards and her dark lashes perfectly frame her narrowing eyes as she whispers.

"Bang."

Thunder rumbles to life as lightning hurls from her fingertips. The fierce strike shoots right through the faux villain. She pushes her feet against the ground as hard as she possibly can within that moment, _then she's airborne_. Just like her lightning, she passes through the faux villain as well.

"Aihara bursts her way through with raw power!" Present Mic exclaims with a grin. "This girl is a walking thundercloud! Beauty and potency perfectly combined! What's with her?! Is there anything she can't do?!"

"She took advantage of the situation. She's adept." Aizawa states, sounding as if he's fighting a yawn. "Todoroki's actions were logical and strategic."

Shoto looks over his shoulder with wide eyes, watching as Hotaru passes through the explosive hole she created in the faux villain. She emerges without a scratch, her glowing eyes slowly opening as she returns to the world of light. Her arms are over her head as she descends to the ground below, the radiant sunlight caressing her form as if she's something holy.

When her lightning coated feet touch the ground, she drops into a smooth somersault before continuing in a steady and paced run. Not a single drop of sweat taints her skin. She raises her hand towards her mouth, using her teeth to pull a hair tie from her wrist. She gathers her extremely frizzy tresses up into a messy bun, and he looks back ahead with narrowed eyes.

He really shouldn't underestimate her. She's nothing like she was just a month ago. It's obvious that she's been training hard. The fact that she's able to keep up with him and showing no signs of fatigue even after unleashing that powerful attack proves it. He hates to admit it, but he's beginning to feel uneasy.

She's the last person that he wants to be trailing behind him. If fact, it puts him at a disadvantage. Her quirk works well up close and even from a distance. He keeps looking over his shoulder at her. It's dangerous to keep her out of his sight, because he knows that she's in the perfect position to attack. He needs to put some distance between them or stop her in her tracks.

He knows his next actions are a long shot. However, he has to weigh his options. He has to test her and determine just how big of a threat she is. Without warning, he launches his daring attack.

Hotaru lowers her hands from her hair when giant shards of ice come rushing at her. Her eyes narrow slightly. He's that desperate, huh? She takes aim at the rapidly approaching ice with her fingers, making it shatter away with a lightning bolt. Unfortunately, he's going to have to do better than that.

Shoto can't help but to let out a miffed sigh. She's definitely posing a major problem. He can't slow her down and his ice is proving to be almost useless against her. There's no point to attack her with it. His eyes narrow when she takes aim at him next.

Lightning comes soaring at him, and he hastily creates a wall of ice to block it. Hotaru lowers her hand with a tightening jaw. That ice of his is a problem. It's capable defensively and offensively. Trying to attack him from here will only serve as a waste of energy. She still has a long way to go in order to finish this race, so she needs to tread carefully.

"Todoroki and Aihara fire some shots!" Present Mic dances in his seat, punching at the air and almost smacking Aizawa. "Neither are overwhelmed and continuing the onslaught! What's up with that?!"

"They are assessing each other's strength." Aizawa answers that spoken question, annoyed. "They know not to underestimate each other and deemed attacking futile."

"Clever!" Present Mic declares.

Hotaru's teeth grit. _Crap._ She doesn't like being stuck behind Shoto like this, but it looks like she has no choice. Even though her training is most definitely paying off, he's still physically better off than her.

To pass him, she'll have to catch him off guard. He's too vigilant right now to do just that. She's just going to have to deal with it for now. When the finish line is in sight, that's when she'll make an effort to leave him in the dust. For now, she'll just be thankful that she's no longer in last place.

Endeavor's eyes narrow as he watches his son and Lightning Beast's brat on the giant screen. That girl is stronger and more shrewd than he thought. He always knew she was quick on her feet since she's been able to escape from him many times, but this is his first time witnessing her in action and displaying such raw power. His lips downturn severely. Doesn't Shoto realize he can overpower her with his left side?

"That girl isn't bad." Someone from the crowd whispers, making Endeavor's eye twitch.

"Yeah, but she's Lightning Beast's daughter."

"She doesn't seem very trustworthy. I definitely don't want a villain at my agency."

"It doesn't matter how well she's doing. Once a villain, always a villain."

"I can't believe they are even allowing her to participate."

"She's kind of cute, isn't she?" Mount Lady comments from outside the stadium.

"We're supposed to be security guards!" Kamui Woods barks at her. "Get back to work!"

Shoto's run gradually slows down as the second barrier comes into view. Him slowing down allows Hotaru to gain on him. However, when she sees the second barrier she slows down just like he did. She takes in the treacherous obstacle with wide eyes. U.A. is full of surprises.

A vast and bottomless pit is stretched out before her. Large stone pillars are randomly scattered about that range in different sizes. The only thing they have in common is the tightropes connecting them. What kind of deathtrap is this?

Hotaru and Shoto come to a complete stop, standing side by side. The two of them stare at the obstacle with an equal amount of shock. They quickly study the area, noticing that there are many different paths available to take. Some paths are longer, some are shorter, and some lead to a dead end. This is an obstacle that requires careful speculations and even more careful balance.

Shoto is the first to choose a route and run off. Hotaru chooses one instantly after and moves to run too, _only to nearly faceplant_. She looks at her feet to see ice covering them. Her eyelid twitches. _That slick jerk_.

She quickly melts it before moving swiftly towards the nearest rope. Shoto's already using his ice to efficiently move across the thin rope. Before she even tries to cross, she taps her foot against it to see just what it's made out of. It's made of fine metal wires, even reflecting the sunlight. _Perfect_. The universe seems to be supporting her now. This is no different than when she surfs across power lines.

Hopping onto the rope, she begins to glide across it with ease. Shoto looks over at her at the same time she looks at him. They are far from each other, but equally aligned and tied in first place. His eyes narrow when she smirks and extends her hand in his direction. His left side is facing her. _Now's her chance._

She shoots lightning in his direction. He gasps and forces himself to come to an abrupt stop on the thin rope, having no way to counter. Her lightning narrowly misses him. The rope he's currently on jostles as a result of his sudden stop and his teeth bare when he nearly loses his balance. His eyes glare intensely at her.

"Aihara takes the lead with a cunning attack!" Present Mic leaps up from his seat. His next words make it plainly obvious just who he's personally rooting for. "Go, go!"

"Damn it…!" Shoto growls lowly, hurrying after her.

Hotaru's pulse is loud in her ears as she continues quickly across the narrow ropes. _She's in first_. This is insane. Completely and utterly _insane_. She didn't think this would happen at all. Can she preserve this first-place spot? Sweat forms on her temple and she quickly uses her forearm to wipe it away. She's getting tired, but she needs to keep going.

She clears the second obstacle and sprints towards the red staircase ahead. Her breathing is starting to become labored as her energy gradually drains. Her body is slowing down slowly but surely. She's halfway up the stairs when the sound of crystallizing ice makes her turn around, _but she does so much too late._

Upon contact she instantly shivers. Ice creeps up her body starting at her feet and stopping just at her shoulders. It's thicker than before, this attack truly meant to keep her confined. Shoto darts pass her and she growls in frustration.

"Todoroki reclaims his first-place title, leaving Aihara frozen in a block of ice! Things are getting intense!" Present Mic's voice yells out.

"Y-You don't say." Hotaru bites out between her chattering teeth.

Literally, it's like Shoto turned her into an ancient fossil trapped in a glacier. Although the iciness is cooling down her warm body temperature, it's taking longer than she would like to melt. She's nearly free until Shoto sends more ice back at her from the top of the stairs, encasing her entire body in it.

 _..._ So _, that's how it is._

Her eyelids lower from within the icy prison. _Fine_. She'll use his ice to her advantage before she turns up the heat. She takes her sweet and precious time to melt his ice by pressing her hands against it. Instead of discharging lightning from her entire body, she's focusing it solely in her palms so her body can soak in the cold.

When she emerges from the ice, she can't hide her surprise at how many people have passed her within that short amount of time. Nearly a whole dozen people have surpassed her. It looks like they weren't as far behind as she thought. This school really is overflowing with talent. Things are really starting to pick up. She runs up the stairs while shivering greatly, sure that she's suffering from frostbite.

"And now we got someone new in the lead! Rejoice, mass media! It's the kind of development you guys love!" Present Mic's voice makes her eyes widen.

Someone else is in the lead now? Her best guess is that it's Bakugo. Should she go all out now? She's not sure how far ahead the lead person is. It's better to be safe than sorry. She may be pushing her luck. Maybe not melting Shoto's ice as quickly as possible was reckless. However, this was the only way she could extend her speed technique and recharge.

Her eyes glow and her form is covered in sparks. _Here goes nothing—_ someone latches onto her back. A skittish shiver shoots down her spine when a familiar voice whispers in her ear.

"I got you, Taru-chan." Mineta coos softly. She looks over her shoulder and instantly regrets it, his creepy face being way too close for comfort. He's using his purple balls to stick to her like a bug.

"Mineta-kun." She bites out, turning her head away from him instantly as blood starts to seep from his nostrils. "If you value your life, get off of me."

"But this is where I was meant to be—!"

"Mineta!" She yells at him, making him jump and tremble.

"I-I can't! I'm literally stuck to you now!"

"No, you're not! I know how your quirk works! Your balls stick to anything but you, so let go!"

"Taru-chan!" Mineta whines in protest.

"I will shock the living daylights out of you!"

"I thought we were friends!"

"Mineta!"

"Taru!"

Wordlessly, she reaches up and unzips her jacket. She slides out of it which leaves her in her white t-shirt. As a result, Mineta falls to the ground with a cry, pathetically reaching out to her voluptuous figure that's leaving him behind. She continues where she left off.

She becomes shrouded in lightning and takes off into a speedy run, her movements heightened to the max. Lightning compels her body to move beyond its original capability. Her form swiftly passes by people. In no time at all, the third and final barrier enters her sight. It's a landmine, and she arrives just when a big explosion erupts. The shock-wave from it briefly slows her down. She raises her hands to shield her eyes.

"Class A's Midoriya is in hot pursuit with that blast!" Present Mic exclaims.

Hotaru looks towards the sky, seeing Midoriya emerging from the pink smoke that the explosion created. He clutches at what looks to be the outer armor of one of the faux villains as he soars through the air, and passes right over Shoto and Bakugo. _No way_. Did he really use the landmines to launch himself like that? Midoriya's now in the lead, _and the finish line is within sight._

Bakugo and Shoto who looked to have been brawling turn away from each other to chase after Midoriya. Her teeth grit and she draws in a sharp breath, static tickling her flesh as her body temperature rises rapidly. She can't waste a single moment.

"Now…!" She whispers to herself, moving much faster than before.

With a yell, Bakugo blasts through the air in hot pursuit. Shoto creates a path of ice to gain without having to worry about stepping on landmines. Hotaru runs so quickly over the landmines that they can't even react.

"The two formerly in the lead have stopped trying to slow each other down and are chasing Midoriya!" Present Mic states. "Aihara is coming up like lightning itself from behind!"

Midoriya begins to plummet to the ground and lose momentum. Bakugo and Shoto are nearly about to pass him until Midoriya suddenly stands on both of their shoulders. Her eyes widen when he slams his metal shield onto the ground, making Bakugo and Shoto get caught in a powerful explosion. Even she gets caught up in it, having just been able to close the distance between them.

She staggers and coughs at all the smoke, her teeth gritting in sudden frustration at that dirty trick. That ruined her whole speed burst. Even Midoriya is merciless today, and in the most intelligent way. Her, Shoto, and Bakugo simultaneously burst out of the smoke and chase after Midoriya who's currently making them eat his dust, _literally_.

"Aihara has caught up once again! Midoriya is in the lead! Todoroki and Bakugo aren't letting up! Eraserhead, your class is amazing! What're you teaching them?!" Present Mic practically cries out.

"I didn't do anything." Aizawa grumbles. "They got each other fired up on their own."

They enter the tunnel leading back into the stadium, the four of them drenched in sweat. Hotaru's vision blurs slightly as the heat surrounding her starts to become overwhelming, Bakugo's limbs tremble as his propelling explosions start to take their recoiling toll, Shoto's flesh starts to become coated in bitter frost at his lowering body temperature as a result of surfing with his ice, and Midoriya merely breathes heavily as he runs for his life.

This whole final stretch is like a blur, being fueled by nothing but adrenaline. _A time-lapse_. Hotaru can't even hear the growing roars of the audience. All she can hear is the sound of her own breaths and the pounding of her own feet, along with those who are running right beside her.

Even though they are roughly shoulder to shoulder, they are too desperate to catch Midoriya to attack one another—like a pack of wolves chasing a hare. They have a common foe. It just goes to show how vehement desperation can be, and the great lengths someone dares to go in order to satisfy their hunger.

A bright light engulfs Hotaru as she reaches the end. She's forced to shut her eyes to block it out. Her lightning fades away and she slows down until she's no longer moving, and suddenly she's now able to hear the crowd once more. She gasps for breath, sweat dripping from her nose and chin as she hunches over. She's scorching, _and yet…_

Her lips curve upwards slightly as she listens to Present Mic scream the results as they come rushing in. Midoriya placed first, Shoto second, Bakugo third, _and herself fourth?_ She was so close to placing higher. It was almost a three-way tie. But, she knows that a month ago she wouldn't have been able to do this. So, she'll gladly accept it. It's all the more satisfying that way.

She straightens up slowly and looks up at the blue sky. Her gaze naturally drifts and locks with a pair of dark and tired eyes. He looks so annoyed having to deal with Present Mic's loud voice. With a grin, she waves at Aizawa happily. He nods at her and her expression softens as she lowers her hand.

When she used to think of the future it was dark, and she often couldn't see anything. Looking at it now, it seems so bright. She turns to look at Shoto. He's staring into the crowd. She follows his gaze and it leads her straight to a rather intimidating Endeavor. Slowly, she looks back at Shoto and her heart grows heavy.

That expression on his face. She remembers it as if she saw it just yesterday. The only difference is that it hurts her even more than it did back then. Her fingers grip the fabric of her clothing over her chest. Beneath his resentful front is something entirely different. It makes her accomplishment just now feel meaningless.

 _He's sad._

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Hand in Hand

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"Team up with me."

Hotaru stares at his offered hand with parted lips of surprise. Her breath hitches and her cheeks grow warm. Did she hear him right? Slowly, she looks up into his stunning mismatched eyes. She can't quite find her voice. His next words are innocent and genuine, yet they nearly knock her off her feet.

"I'll keep you cool with my right side." Suddenly, his head tilts to the side at her feverish face. "What's wrong? Are you nauseous again?"

"Y-Yes. I-I mean no! Wait, yes!" She quickly grabs onto his hand, her head ducked in embarrassment. Silence hovers between them for a few seconds before she pathetically mumbles. "I-I can't talk..."

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~ Drawing for next chapter:

 **finally can show you this!**

cherryblossomx6 (dotdeviantart) (dotcom) /art/ Team-Todoroki-831495926

 **just remove the spaces and put a "." where you see the word "dot" and remove parentheses.**

 **or if that's not working just look up my username on deviant art lol,** ( ´ ω ` )

 **i tried.**


	24. Hand in Hand

**Guest:** thank you so much ~ !

 **Oblivious IJ:** ehehe ~ (￣▽￣) i can relate.

 **LadyAmazon:** haha ! surely! what was that about, am i right? (・・;)ゞ ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ

 **bbymojo:** aahhhh! T-T ❤ , i'm at a loss of words. thank you so much. literally, that brings me joy like no other. i'm so happy to be able to write for you! those chapter highlights too, i love them ! *:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:* you're great and i love how you can discern things! your thoughts are spot on and i truly enjoy reading through them ! thank you, again ! i got another gift for you too, haha ~ !

 **minirie:** thank you a ton ~ ! your words mean so much. i'm truly so happy you're enjoying this story so far ! i feel like i'm doing something right if you feel as if your in her shoes, ehe. that's really so amazing ❤ thank you for reading, and i hope you enjoy this chapter as well !

 **lovelyhatter:** (￣▽￣*)ゞ ( ´ ▽ ` ) ❤ i'm speechless yet again. wow, thank you so much! honestly, i find writing canon scenes pretty boring sometimes since it's something most people already are knowledgeable about, ehe. sometimes i wanna skip over them but then things might not make sense, i dunno, haha ~ ! hearing that you enjoyed reading through such scenes brings me so much relief and happiness. ❤ aahh, my heart has been touched by you! I am working on an original work, actually ~ i'm still in my brainstorming stages. coming up with something interesting is hard, but I think I might be on to something. I would be honored to share it with you in the future! Just as you get excited for my response to your reviews, I get super excited getting reviews from you! thank you ! much love to you ! ❤

 **pinkpaladin:** haha, i love Daichi too! expect lots more from him soon ❤ so happy you love Taru, and Mount Lady keeping it real as always , haha ~ ! (*≧ω≦*) awe ~ ! you see them as a family that's so cute. ｡ﾟ( ﾟ^∀^ﾟ)ﾟ｡ i see them like that too, ahh. can't wait for things to unfold. thank you so much ! ❤ i hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Emocean:** yes ! Hotaru world domination! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ ehe, she deserves it! thank you for reading ! ❤

 **winddemon199:** aah, thank you ! ❤ i'm pretty sure that was cheating, too ~ uh-oh, Shinso you better be careful bb (¯▿¯)' thank you so much for reading!

•○●○•

 **here's a quick and fun doodle i did, heh** ~

cherryblossomx6 (dotdeviantart) (dotcom) /art/ Innocent-Quarrel-832979640

 **just remove the spaces and put a "." where you see the word "dot" and remove parentheses.**

 **or if that's not working just look up my username on deviant art lol,** ( ´ ω ` )

•○●○•

 **hello, everyone ~ !** \\(^ヮ^)/

 **i hope everyone is well.**

 **it's starting to get warm again and green is starting to sprout which makes me happy!** ❤

 **make sure you take care of yourselves and stay healthy!**

 **i appreciate each and every one of you and love reading your reviews.**

 **every time i upload a chapter, i look forward to hearing from you!** ❤

 **i hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**

 **and as always, i apologize for any errors you may stumble across, ehe.** (／ˍ・、)

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❤•○●○•❤

Hand in Hand

❤•○●○•❤

"Shoto,"

A soft voice along with his name makes him look away from his old man in the audience. Hotaru is walking up to him with a small smile, still breathing somewhat heavily from the obstacle race that they completed a mere few minutes ago. She comes to a stop before him and meets his eyes happily.

"I just wanted to congratulate you." She begins sincerely, lightly scratching at her cheek in a sheepish manner. "Even though I said I would beat you, things ended up the other way around…"

Hotaru trails off when Shoto walks away from her mid-sentence. The smile on her face drops and is replaced with a frown as she stares after him. She lets out a helpless sigh. At least he's no longer looking at Endeavor anymore, which was her main goal just now.

She doesn't like the person he turns into whenever he locks eyes with him. He doesn't look sad anymore either. It seems her presence has rendered him annoyed. She really doesn't know what to do anymore when it comes to him. It's really beginning to hurt.

Turning, she watches as more students cross the finish line. It doesn't seem like it will be much longer before the next game starts. Sweat glides down her temple and she draws in a deep breath. Some ice water sounds heavenly right now. As soon as she thinks that, she catches sight of what looks to be the Business Course. They are standing by the wall and handing out water. She practically runs over to the beverage stand.

"Get your ice water here—ah!" One of the student's becomes startled at her presence, his glasses nearly falling off his face.

"Hi." She greets, bowing politely. "May I have some ice water, please?"

"Uh..." He suddenly folds his arms over his chest, making a false expression of arrogance. "Sure. You got money?"

"No." She answers, pointing at the sign hanging from the table. "But, I shouldn't need any because the sign says 'free.'"

"W-We're out of water!" He stutters out.

Hotaru's eyes move away from him to stare at the many bottled waters placed neatly across the tabletop, and the abundant water coolers that are filled to the brim. Is he that unsettled by her presence that he's telling her a painfully obvious lie? She looks down at the large tub of ice beneath the table.

"Then," She gestures towards the countless ice cubes. "Can I just get some ice?"

"We're all out." He shakes his head. She glares at him, and suddenly he's holding out a disposable cup to her. "I-I mean yes! Take as much ice as you want!"

"Thanks." She snatches the cup from him, crouching down to fill it with ice.

Once her cup is full she struts off with a scowl. People are unsettled by her due to the fact she was a villain, yet they still have the nerve to test her? She would think it would be the other way around and they do whatever she wants them to do out of fear. _Whatever_.

She plops a perfectly square ice cube in her mouth and hums in content at the coldness. Already, she feels soothed. Just like she was burning up on the outside, her insides were in the same burdensome state. She stares up at the blue sky and raining confetti.

If she's being honest, she's actually surprised she was able to catch up at the end, and even more surprised that she was able to maintain her speed technique for that long. It doesn't seem like all that long ago when she nearly ruptured her own insides as a result of it.

Even though she was training to gain physical strength, she didn't think she was also training her body to handle her quirk better. Although, it does make sense. She really was quite unhealthy, huh? Now that she's been taking care of herself, it feels like there's so much more she can do. That doesn't mean she can be careless, though. _Not at all_.

Her thoughts are cut short when someone walks up beside her. When she looks over, she nearly chokes on her ice cube. His lips twitch upwards into a smirk when she faces him with a nasty glare.

"What's wrong?" Shinso asks. "You look like a villain right now."

She instantly opens her mouth to retort, but no words come out. She's just barely able to stop herself from answering him. Her lips press together tightly and she continues to glare at him, not caring what she resembles right now.

"It's rude to ignore someone." Shinso continues, amused. She opens her mouth once more but only for the sole purpose to suck on another ice cube. "Are you frightened of me?"

She's not frightened of him at all. What a ludicrous suggestion. If anything, she's angry at him and it's taking everything in her not to respond to him at all. She knows if she responds to him she'll be giving him the opportunity to take control of her again. He did one of the things she hates most. After all, _she spent nearly her whole life beneath her parents' thumbs_.

They are practically having a staring contest. The longer they stare at each other, the more Hotaru's glare starts to fade. Earlier thoughts she had regarding him refresh themselves in her mind. She can't not say anything. She wants to respond to him. She has a ton of questions and wants to get answers. But, she doesn't want to lose herself either. What could she say to catch him off guard? _Something shocking that will overwhelm him…_

She faces him fully and peeks up at him through her ebony lashes. Slowly, her hand raises and she points her index finger at his nose. Her lips part and his eyes narrow the tiniest bit. Clearly she figured out his quirk, yet she's still willing to talk to him? Is it because of her villain past? In other words, does she find him similar to herself? Or, is she just that easy to provoke? _She's falling into his trap again—_

"Fish." She says, and his mind briefly goes blank. He blinks a few times and it takes a moment for that single word to process.

"...Fish?" He repeats in confusion, and she nods with a pompous grin, inwardly screaming;

 _Success._

"Shinso-san," She begins. "I'm not scared of you. Now, how about you? Are you frightened by me? Using your quirk to try and eliminate someone before the game even started was kind of far-fetched. But, it worked in my favor. I guess I owe you a thanks."

"You being here is far-fetched."

Instantly, her eyes widen and her pointing finger lowers. _Oh._ Her eyelids lower and she sighs to herself. She stares at the ground expressionlessly. She doesn't think she'll ever stop hearing things like that. In truth, she knows she never will.

"...Do you think that I don't know that?" She whispers, and surprise crosses his features. "My presence here is unusual. It's beyond belief. I know that. But, _I am here._ And since I'm here, I'm going to make an effort..." A determined sheen highlights her eyes. "...No matter what other people think."

She reaches inside her cup to pick up another ice cube. It's cold against her skin and glistening beneath the sun. She can distinguish her own distorted reflection in it, and Shinso's too. He looks dismayed somehow. Her lips curve upwards the tiniest bit for a short moment. It must really be frustrating.

"Sorry." She apologizes softly, looking up at him wistfully. "It's frustrating, isn't it?"

"What?" He can't help but murmur in confusion.

"Me being in the hero course." She explains with a small smile. "That's why you don't like me right now, right? I've seen enough hate in my lifetime to discern it, but that's not the case with you. After all, you called me by my name the first time we met while others don't tend to do that. I apologize if I'm wrong, but you're envious of me, aren't you?"

His jaw goes slightly slack. _Envious?_ His eyes darken as they narrow into a resentful glare. Where did she get that from? He's not envious of her in the slightest. What an arrogant thing to say, but he supposes it suits someone like her.

"Why would I be envious of you?" He questions in a low and dangerous tone.

"Hm…" She hums to herself like she's not sure, giving him a closed-eyed smile.

"What would you know?" He bites out, his voice gradually growing louder.

"I don't know much." She shifts her weight from side to side in an indifferent manner, her expression lazy like a sluggish cat. "But, I know enough to know that you, Shinso-san, are jealous of me."

That's the final straw for him. Her arrogance has left him completely enraged. He closes in on her, moving so his body is towering over hers. The sun's position in the sky makes his shadow fall over her. She only continues to gaze up at him, not budging even slightly.

"You—!" He starts to berate her, until she cuts him off.

"Don't be."

His breath gets lodged in his throat at her cordial tone, and at her eyes that resemble gently rolling clouds. Her head tilts to the side ever so slightly, her pearly teeth briefly showing in her smile. He blinks in bewilderment multiple times, especially at her next words.

"Your quirk is really amazing. If someone didn't bump into me, you totally would have succeeded in eliminating me. I was completely helpless." She laughs a bit, bringing her free hand over her mouth as she does. "Maybe you should have been in the hero course instead of me. But, since I _am_ here, I need to work hard. Do you get what I'm saying?" She pouts slightly. "No matter where you are in life, you have to work hard. Not for anyone else, but for yourself."

He takes a single backwards step, his eyelids lowering as he runs his fingers through his hair. The amount of significance in every word she spoke is inconceivable. _She's inconceivable_. He thinks those are the words he's been wanting to hear someone say to him at least once. Words he wanted but didn't know that he needed. A cool breeze blows by and he slowly opens his eyes to meet her own.

"...Are you sure you were a villain?" He inquires.

"Of course." She nods, beaming. Instantly afterwards, she looks away from him with a scowl, somewhat violently eating another ice cube. "But, I'm still mad at you. Brainwashing me of all people… hmph. Next time you do that, I'll shock you."

A ghost of a smile lingers on his lips, hardly detectable. She's now wearing a villainous glare as she looks off to the side at nothing in particular. However, that glare falters as surprise crosses her features. He follows her gaze to find himself staring at someone approaching them. Someone… _gross._

"There you are, my sexy anti-hero." Mineta coos as he makes his way over, an odd smile on his face. He comes to a stop next to Hotaru, waving Shinso off. "Sorry, but Taru-chan is mine."

"Mineta-kun," She begins with a sigh. "I'm not yours."

"What about…" He smugly reveals something that was behind his back. "This?"

Hotaru's lips part and her eyes widen when he holds up the jacket she abandoned during the obstacle race. His purple balls are no longer stuck to it. Instantly, she smiles and grabs a hold of it.

"Yes." She says happily. "You must've held onto this during the race. Thank you, Mineta-kun."

"Of course."

As she slides on her jacket, Mineta looks at her with lustful eyes. Once she has it on, she smiles at him gratefully once more. Shinso stares at Mineta in disgust for his perverted gaze, then looks at Hotaru queerly for the fact she seems to be friendly with this guy.

"Do you like flowers?" Mineta suddenly asks.

"Flowers?" She tilts her head slightly at that random question. "Yes. I think they are really pretty."

"Are vanilla orchids your favorite flower?" He questions further, and her brows furrow.

"No. Why do you ask…?"

She trails off as realization dawns on her. _Vanilla and orchids_. That's the scent of the laundry detergent she's been using lately. Wait a second. Did he possibly sniff her jacket when he had it in his possession? Her face twists in displeasure.

"No reason—eek!" Mineta squeaks when a lightning bolt zaps the ground near his feet. She's pouting angrily at him, her cheeks slightly red as little agitated puffs of smoke emerge from the top of her head.

"You're despicable." She mutters with perilous eyes.

"The first game of the first-year stage is finally over!" Midnight's voice suddenly echoes, and Hotaru looks over.

The R-Rated Hero is standing on the platform and everyone is starting to crowd around. It looks like she's about to announce the obstacle course results along with the next game they are going to participate in. There's no more time for idle chit-chat.

"Well," Shinso speaks as he starts to make his way over to where his class is gathered. "See you later."

"Right." She waves after him. "Good luck."

He throws her a tiny smile by looking over his shoulder and her eyes widen a notch. Mineta brings his hands to his head and his jaw drops in anger. Quickly, he moves to stand in front of Hotaru so her gaze drops down to him. He holds his hand out to her.

"Let's go together, Taru-chan!" He smiles hopefully. She walks past him with an eye roll and leaves him behind.

She stands in the far back and away from everyone else, while Mineta maneuvers through the crowd to find her since he lost sight of her at some point. Sheepish sweat trickles down her temple. How does he not see her? She's not exactly in a well-hidden spot and is somewhat in the open. Either way, she snickers at his frantic form that's getting further and further away. She's not so interested in calling out to him either. Even he's her enemy today.

The obstacle course results are revealed on the enormous holographic screen. When a picture of her appears next to the number four, she grows pale. It looks like they snapped a photo of her when she was glaring at Shinso.

Whoever is responsible for the photography is clearly against her. Not only that, her hair is such a frizzy mess. _Wait._ Her hand rises to her scalp. The messy bun she had put her hair in has fallen out. When did that happen? How disappointing.

With slightly warm cheeks, she pours some water onto her hand from her melting ice cubes. She runs her fingers over and through her hair, dampening it and getting rid of her current shaggy lion's mane. Too bad this is only a temporary solution.

"The top 42 made it through to the next round. It's unfortunate, but don't worry even if you didn't make it! We've prepared other chances for you to shine." Midnight begins, licking her lips with a crafty smile. "The real competition begins next! The press cavalry'll be all over it! Give it your all! Now then, here is the second game."

Hotaru's lips part slightly. _Cavalry?_ She said that word with more emphasis which makes it noteworthy. Gradually, her head inclines to the side as her jaw drops. _Cavalry… what is that?_ The answer is so close she can nearly grasp it. As she ponders over it, she watches as the next game shuffles on screen.

"I already know what it is, but what can it be?" Midnight speaks in a teasing tone. "I just said it, and now here it is!" She points her whip skywards and at the game result.

The next game is a cavalry battle. She had a feeling "cavalry" meant battle. However, it's no ordinary battle. _Dang it._ It's frustrating her that she can't recall what kind of battle it is— _it hits her._ A battle of horsemen. It's a battle that takes place on horseback—like a medieval war.

Her eyes suddenly sparkle brightly and she looks around in excitement, trying to spot a four-legged animal. She's never seen a horse in person due to living in the city her whole life. Despite that, she's seen plenty of them on screen and they are stunning. _She can't wait to pet one—!_

"Let me explain." Midnight's voice drags her out of her thoughts.

She looks eagerly at the screen so she can learn more. What's displayed makes her blanch. All of her excitement is brutally snatched away and leaves behind an unbearable moronic sensation. She should've known there wouldn't actually be horses.

The image displayed is one of All Might, Present Mic, and Thirteen. All Might is being held up by Thirteen and Present Mic. All Might is the rider while Thirteen appears to be the horse, and Present Mic is extra support she supposes? She lets out a sigh. This will be interesting.

"The participants can form teams of two to four people as they wish." Midnight carries on with her explanation. "It's basically the same as a regular cavalry battle, but the one thing that's different is based on the results of the last game, each person has been assigned a point value."

As Midnight explains how the points are distributed, Hotaru quickly does some math inside her head. The points assigned go up by five from the bottom. So, the person that placed 42nd would be worth five points. She placed fourth. _That means she has…?_ Her point value is displayed on screen before she can figure it out, and she curses her awful math skills. She's worth 195 points.

They will be given a headband that displays their point value, and the value of each team depends on who is on that team. In other words, their combined point value. They need to steal each other's headbands to gain points until time runs out. They can use their quirks, but can't make people fall on purpose… _seems simple enough._

"And the point value assigned to first place is ten million!" Midnight exclaims.

If Hotaru were a cat, her ears would've perked up and her pupils would've dilated. Her eyes are naturally drawn to a panicked Midoriya who's standing in the front. Her lips curve upwards into a wicked smirk. That means all she needs to do is take him down? _Say no more._ She'll apologize to him later.

"Now, you have 15 minutes to build your teams. Start!" Midnight declares, and everyone moves quickly to do just that.

Hotaru sips on her cup now full of icy water as she thinks. Who does she want on her team? Someone she gets along with would be the best option. There's Mineta, but she's not sure how well of an asset he will be due to his perverted nature. She doesn't think Kaminari made it to this round unfortunately. Bakugo… _no_. Teamwork isn't in his vocabulary. Midoriya is sweet, but since he's worth so many points working with him is out of the question.

If she were to team up with Midoriya everyone would be targeting them which would be too troublesome. She would rather be on one of the teams going against him and steal his points towards the end. Her eyes stare skywards thoughtfully.

If Shoto wasn't being so vulgar she would see if he would want to team up. She claimed she would beat him but in this game teamwork is required, and she needs to team up with people that she knows are capable. Yaoyorozu, perhaps?

She looks around and her expression becomes dull at the empty space she's standing in. It seems like a lot of people are avoiding her. _Figures._ She takes a bigger sip of her water, letting out a heavy breath afterwards. What should she do? Wait for someone to come to her? She may end up on an impotent team if she does that, though. Her index finger taps against her cheek repeatedly.

"Think, think, think…" She whispers to herself. Should she just team up with Midoriya? They'll just need to ward everyone off until time is up. _Ugh_. She's at a complete loss. Her mind is everywhere. With a tiny frown, she looks around for Yaoyorozu.

Midoriya gazes at the ground intently as he thinks to himself. Who does he want on his team? Points don't matter at all in his case. He needs someone determined and someone who cooperates well. Someone like that person, and that person! _Maybe even…!_ His eyes suddenly widen and he marches off.

Mineta runs around in a panic, holding his throbbing red cheek. So many girls have smacked him. Taru-chan would never do such a thing. Where is his sexy anti-hero? It's finally their chance to rise together as a powerful couple. Together, they will be unstoppable and make everyone jealous of their compatibility.

Shinso instantly knows who he wants to team up with. She's courageous and her presence unsettles most. If she's on his team, people won't recklessly attack. Perhaps they would even willingly give up their points to them with her villainous gaze. That last bit is a little dubious, but his mind is made up either way.

Shoto expeditiously maneuvers through the many bodies, ignoring those who desperately run up to him in hopes to team up. He _needs_ to rise to the top. In order to do that, he needs to team up with strong people, _even if it's her._ Actually, it would be problematic if she were going against him. He stops in his tracks and looks around hastily. _Where is she?_

"Yaoyorozu-san," Hotaru walks up to the beautiful girl with a smile. "Would you like to team up with me?"

"I would love to." Yaoyorozu brings her hand over her chest with a warm smile, touched. "I was thinking about asking you to team up with me myself."

"Really?" Hotaru laughs shortly, her eyes gleaming as Yaoyorozu faces her.

"Yes. Your point value is high, and I think you're very strong." She nods, her spiky ponytail swishing. "Most importantly, we get along quite well too."

"Mhm!"

"Now," Yaoyorozu brings her finger to her chin as she contemplates to herself. "Who else should we team up with? Taking my creation and your lightning into consideration, preferably someone who can compensate for any shortcomings..."

Hotaru sips on her icy water as she contemplates as well. She considers herself more of an offensive than defensive person. Although her defense is capable, she'll need to be careful since she'll be in contact with her teammates. Her mind goes blank. She doesn't know who they should join forces with. Well, one person crosses her mind, but she doesn't say their name. On the other hand, Yaoyorozu does.

"How about Todoroki-san?" Yaoyorozu asks, making Hotaru stare blankly into her cup. She easily takes notice of her hesitant face and frowns worriedly. "Do you not want to team up with him?"

"Well…" Hotaru whispers almost inaudibly, her brows furrowing as her lips purse. "It's not that I don't want to. But, I don't think he'd want to team up with me."

"Oh. I apologize." Yaoyorozu brings her hand over her mouth in dread, feeling as if she overstepped her bounds. She always noticed how complex and strained their relationship seemed to be, but she thought they were growing closer.

"It's okay. No worries." Hotaru waves her hand through the air to reassure her. "There's nothing to apologize for at all." She forces a smile, bracing herself to face him. "Let's find him and ask."

"Alright." Yaoyorozu smiles. Before the two of them walk off, they are stopped by multiple voices.

"Aihara-san!"

"Aihara."

"Taru-chan!"

Hotaru and Yaoyorozu look over, seeing Midoriya, Shinso, and Mineta standing before them. Each of them called out Hotaru's name. Their insisting eyes are on her. The organ in her chest staggers and she becomes overwhelmed. Why they called out to her is obvious. The three boys open quickly their mouths to speak, obviously competing against each other in order to snatch her for their teams.

"Taru-chan is mine!" Mineta jabs a finger at Midoriya and Shinso.

"I was here first." Shinso mutters, making Mineta even more outraged.

"A-Aihara-san," Midoriya begins anxiously. "If you're okay with it, will you team up with me?"

Hotaru looks between the three of them in somewhat of a frenzy, not sure what to say or do. She has already teamed up with Yaoyorozu and doesn't want to just abandon her, and if they want to join their team she can't simply decide that herself. She needs to consult with Yaoyorozu first. Although, she's deeply moved at how they want to team up with her. _Dang it_. What should she do? She turns to Yaoyorozu to ask for her thoughts, _only for another voice to speak out._

"Aihara-san."

Hotaru turns her head to see Shoto walking in their direction. Her stomach knots up and her body grows tense all over. His eyes are focused on her and no one else, the breeze tousling his hair around as he grows closer. She swallows thickly, his gaze making her feel like she's crumbling. He comes to a stop in front of her, almost as if it's just him and her. He holds his hand out to her.

"Team up with me."

She stares at his offered hand with parted lips of surprise. Her breath hitches and her cheeks grow warm. Did she hear him right? Slowly, she looks up into his stunning mismatched eyes. She can't quite find her voice. His next words are innocent and genuine, yet they nearly knock her off her feet.

"I'll keep you cool with my right side." Suddenly, his head tilts to the side at her feverish face. "What's wrong? Are you nauseous again?"

"Y-Yes. I-I mean no! Wait, yes!" She quickly grabs onto his hand, her head ducked in embarrassment. Silence hovers between them for a few seconds before she pathetically mumbles. "I-I can't talk…"

"What a coincidence, Todoroki-san." Yaoyorozu starts up with a smile at how smoothly things are working out, making him look over at her. "We were about to ask you if you wanted to team up as well."

"I was wanting to team up with you too." He reveals. "I have a strategy in mind."

"As expected from you." Yaoyorozu praises.

There are swirls in Hotaru's eyes as she stares at her and Shoto's clasped hands. When she said yes was accepting his offer and nothing more. She's not nauseous at all and she's sure that she made zero sense just now. She's just confused, _and maybe even a little hurt_. There's a stinging sensation in her chest.

He's only doing this for his own benefit, isn't he? There's no meaning behind this other than selfishness. He's willing to completely overlook his earlier actions and words towards her just for his own interests. That kind tone he used just now, was that even real? She fell for it though. _She fell for it so easily_. He really doesn't want to fight alongside her at all.

He said he was planning to team up with Yaoyorozu too, right? And Yaoyorozu wanted to team up with him as well. Her eyelids drape over her eyes. Maybe this was inevitable. They were going to ask him anyway. She wants to look at it that way at least.

She knows that this is what this whole cavalry battle is all about —to team up with those that will give you the greatest advantage. But, it hurts more when it's coming from him. To think that she actually felt hopeful for a split second. _Damn it._ He really is the biggest jerk. He's just using her. She's only a tool. _Fine_. As long as she gets to the next round, she'll endure it all. She'll use him too.

"Let's go." Shoto starts to walk off with her in tow, Yaoyorozu walking beside them.

Midoriya's expression saddens somewhat as he stares after them, but not due to the fact Hotaru isn't on his team. He stares at their joined hands. Their grip on each other is obviously weak and he can easily see how Hotaru's fingers are trembling. She looks so doleful while Todoroki is harder to read, but, he can tell something is weighing heavily on him too.

Shinso's eyes narrow slightly in irritation before he walks off. It can't be helped. He'll make do without her.

Mineta stares at the back of Shoto's head furiously. How dare he steal his woman again? _This is the final straw_. He will crush him for sure.

"You made the biggest mistake of your life, Todoroki…" He murmurs atrociously.

Shoto walks quickly to find his final team member before someone else beats him to the punch like they almost did just now. He knows that Hotaru is easy to beckon with kindness, which is why he used such a lighthearted tone and extended his hand to her. Even so, recruiting her was easier than he thought it would be. He was prepared to take some extra steps. She's kind've naive. He glances over his shoulder and at Hotaru.

Her silver eyes are flickering cyan as she gives him the evil eye. It's like he's staring into a supercell thunderstorm that can unleash multiple tornadoes and wreak havoc. He promptly looks back ahead with a skittish drop of sweat rolling down his temple. _She's not naive at all._

Just what does she think this cavalry battle actually is though? It shouldn't be so shocking to her. He'll apologize later if he needs to. Right now, he's most concerned with revolting against his old man. He just needs to make sure he gets to the next round, _all while placing first for this one_.

Shoto locates Iida and recruits him easily as well. Even as he's talking to Iida, his hand is still gripping Hotaru's. She had stopped holding onto his long ago. Her eyelid twitches in irritation. Does he think she's going to run off or something? With a scowl, she snatches her hand away from his, gulping down the rest of her water angrily.

The team leader, Shoto, faces his three teammates. They are the best people he could team up with. Iida has amazing speed, Yaoyorozu's creation will be their primary source of defense, and Hotaru's lightning can be their main source of offense. He needs to explain his strategy to them quickly since their given time is already half gone, but first he needs to get a brief rundown of their quirks.

"Yaoyorozu," He begins, making her look at him. "Does your quirk have any limitations I should be aware of?"

"The larger the object, the longer it takes for me to create. Although, that shouldn't cause any problems." She answers, and he nods before looking at Hotaru next.

She's staring into her empty cup instead of at him, finding the little glistening droplets inside interesting. Despite her not looking at Shoto, she knows he's looking at her. Does he really want her to tell him all about her quirk?

"Aihara." Shoto addresses her, making her eyes move up to him. "Tell me about your quirk."

Her grip tightens on her cup, making it scrunch up with an obnoxious sound. Wow, _he really is a gutsy jerk_. She folds her arms over her chest while shifting her weight. Whatever. There's nothing so secretive about her quirk and the drawbacks are pretty obvious.

"Lightning manipulation is my quirk. I can control what voltage each strike or discharge contains up to one billion volts. The only drawback I have is that I overheat after a while." She answers in monotone.

Shoto's nods as he takes that in. It seems he was right about overheating being her drawback. After she used what looked like her most powerful move at U.S.J., her skin was scorching hot. Even towards the end of the obstacle race he noticed how quickly she was deteriorating from the heat, which reminds him of her speed technique.

"And your speed trick?" He questions further.

"All I'm doing is generating lightning inside of myself. If you're looking to use me as a horse, I don't recommend it. I can't maintain that trick for long and anyone in contact with me will suffer from minor shocks."

"Wait a second, Aihara-san." Iida suddenly extends his arms in her direction with robotic movements, appalled at her words. "Isn't that equivalent to shocking yourself?"

Everyone's eyes widen slightly as they stare at Hotaru. She stares back at them blankly, her arms falling back to her sides. She nods to answer him, and Iida grows pale while Yaoyorozu brings her hand over her mouth in fright.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Yaoyorozu asks worriedly.

"I have an electrical resistance, so not at first." She shakes her head.

"N-Not at first?" Yaoyorozu repeats.

"Alright." Shoto interrupts their conversation so he can tell them their roles. He's already familiar with Iida's quirk, so there's no need to question him. "I chose you three because I thought it would be the most stable formation. Aihara, you'll be the right wing, keeping the enemy away with your lightning."

"Got it." She crudely waves him off, making his eyes narrow in irritation. Despite that, he looks at Yaoyorozu and continues.

"Yaoyorozu, you'll be the left wing. You are in charge of insulation and assisting with defense and movement." He informs her before turning to Iida next. "Iida, you'll be in the front as the main source of mobility and physical defense."

"So, you will attack and create diversions with ice and fire, then, Todoroki-kun?" Iida asks after he agrees to his given task.

"No." Shoto's eyes move away from him and get lost in the audience. His expression darkens and his fingers curl into rigid fists. "In battle… I will never use my left."

Hotaru's eyes gradually widen, her breath getting caught in her throat. She follows Shoto's severe gaze and it leads her right to a glaring Endeavor. _The reason why she's never seen Shoto use his left side is because of him._ Shoto doesn't want to use his fire because it reminds him of his father? Or, is it something much deeper than that?

Endeavor's eyes suddenly shift over to her, and she blinks when his glare grows more intense. He must be really pissed right now because she's on Shoto's team. In fact, he told her not to touch or talk to Shoto at all but she's sure he witnessed them do just that a couple times today. His teeth bare when she blankly waves at him. _Interesting._ What'll happen if she sticks her tongue out at him?

"Round two is about to start!" Midnight's voice yells out before Hotaru can provoke the Flame Hero. "Everyone, get ready!"

"Yaoyorozu," Shoto instantly begins giving his orders. "Make some roller skates for you and Aihara, and an electrical resistant pad and glove."

"Glove?" Hotaru murmurs, raising a brow at him in question.

"Yeah." He turns to her. "You will need to wear a glove so you can use your quirk without worrying about shocking me or Iida."

"That's… smart." She can't help but murmur in awe. Her eyes glisten as Shoto's strategy comes to life. Maybe teaming up with him was the best choice.

Yaoyorozu creates a pair of roller skates for her and herself so they won't have to do any running at all, and not worry about not being able to keep up with Iida's speed. The rubber pad she creates goes onto Iida's shoulder so Hotaru can hold onto him without shocking him.

Hotaru has never roller skated before. However, she's able to move around in the skates with no problems at all. Yaoyorozu hands her a rubber glove which she takes thankfully. She slides it onto her right hand and flexes her fingers. She doesn't think she can use her quirk from her right hand at all now. Unfortunate, _but necessary_.

She's also given an electrical resistant wrap that coils around the majority of her left arm. It was a last-minute addition. She's not sure what it's for just yet, but she knows for a fact it has something to do with blocking her lightning.

"Are you ready, everyone?" Iida asks.

"Yeah." Shoto slides his shoes off and ties his headband on. He makes his way over to him, Hotaru and Yaoyorozu trailing close behind.

Iida extends his arms back, and Hotaru grabs on tightly to his right hand with her gloved one. She brings her other hand to his padded shoulder. Yaoyorozu gets into the same position as her on the opposite side. The three of them crouch down so Shoto can climb on. Before Shoto boards their makeshift horse carriage, he locks eyes with Hotaru.

"Don't drop me." He threatens, and she scoffs.

"Seriously? I wouldn't do that."

"Your grip test result." He bluntly states, making her think way back to their Quirk Apprehension Training. Her cheeks darken severely, and she looks to the ground.

"T-That was a long time ago. I'm stronger now. If you're that worried, why even bother teaming up with me?" She whispers dismally.

Her silvery eyes move to meet his mismatched ones once more. The amount of sincerity in them makes his breath falter. The blue sky above reflects in them. It almost feels like he's staring into a limitless sea of fleecy clouds.

"I swear, I won't drop you. There's no way I'm going to let us lose. I want to be a hero too, you know." She gives him the smallest of smiles. "I'm also letting you boss me around right now; in case you didn't realize. I trust you, Sho. Can't you just trust me too?"

The frown he was wearing diminishes bit by bit, and his eyes break away from hers. Wordlessly, he moves into position and now she's frowning instead. She stares at the ground with a slight tremble in her brow. She really can't wait for this cavalry battle to be over with. Already, it's taking its toll on her.

Shoto's bare foot moves over the palm of her gloved hand, and she holds onto him gently yet securely. Iida's hand is beneath hers to assist in supporting Shoto's weight. Yaoyorozu mirrors their movements on the left side, and together they slowly straighten up. Once they are standing upright and ready for action, Hotaru finds out why she had to wrap her arm. It's so she won't shock Shoto, _as he sits atop her arm._

Her silver orbs bore into the ground. If she wasn't feeling so despondent, perhaps she would be feeling embarrassment instead at this awkward and close proximity. Her own thoughts attempt to shove her into the dirt below. _Shoto doesn't trust her._ That fact hits her so forcefully. Just like he doesn't trust her, he doesn't see her as a friend either. Yet, he has no problems using her. He's lower than Mineta.

Present Mic begins the countdown, and she draws in a rickety breath. She suddenly feels so tired. She wishes to win this cavalry battle, but she wishes to get away from Shoto even more. It's suddenly torture to be around him. That's when she realizes teaming up with him was the worst possible choice. Everything is such a mess. _She's such a mess_.

She keeps making the same mistake over and over again, which is thinking that maybe the Shoto she once knew is still present. She was supposed to cast everything aside today and only focus on rising to the top, _yet here she is_. Was she an idiot for thinking they were friends again? She bites down harshly on her trembling lower lip. The amount of hatred she feels towards herself at her next thought is unbearable.

 _Was her father right about him?_

"Start!" Midnight yells, slashing her whip in excitement.

"Iida, we're after one thing." Shoto says, and Iida understands what he means by that.

"Right!" He exclaims, running quickly towards Midoriya with Hotaru and Yaoyorozu skating behind.

Hotaru looks around, forcing herself to focus on getting by this cavalry battle. They aren't the only team making a beeline towards Midoriya. In fact, everyone here is doing just that. The ten million points he holds is like a pot of gold. Getting those points won't be so simple. Not only is everyone after him, but Midoriya is proving to be a master of evasive skills.

Her eyes widen when Midoriya's team takes off into flight high in the air. With the support course with him, corning him will be interesting. His team practically transformed into robots, and she's sure Uraraka's zero-gravity is adding to their mobility. They are out of everyone's range. Well, _not her range._

"Aihara." Shoto addresses her as their shadow passes over their heads. Mutely, she complies with his obvious command.

She lifts a single finger from Iida's shoulder and takes careful aim. Lightning shoots outwards from her fingertip and closes in on Midoriya in an instant. He brings his arms up in front of him defensively out of reflex, and yells.

"Tokoyami-kun!"

Before they become a victim of her vicious strike, Tokoyami's Dark Shadow intercepts. Her silver eyes narrow slightly in displeasure. Tokoyami's quirk may be a big problem. However, surely there is a limit to the amount of damage it can take. What would happen if she uses a higher voltage? She doesn't try attacking again though since they have now soared completely over their heads and far behind them.

Iida turns around and follows after him and her expression morphs into one of true boredom. It feels like they are playing tag. Even though there are other teams nearby, they are only chasing after Midoriya.

They nearly catch up to him during Mineta's onslaught, and she can't help but to snicker at how he's randomly throwing his purple balls. Even though he manages to seize Uraraka by the foot with his attack, Midoriya's team takes off into flight once again.

"Damn it," Shoto mutters under his breath as he watches Midoriya fly about like an insect. Hotaru tries shooting lightning at them once again, only for Tokoyami to counter.

"He's persistent." Yaoyorozu comments, and Iida pushes himself to run faster in determination.

"Don't worry." Hotaru says almost inaudibly, watching as they land in the distance. "It looks like Mineta-kun damaged their equipment, so they might not be able to fly around so easily anymore."

"Then, now's our chance." Shoto leans forward slightly, obviously ready to take the ten million points.

"Hehehe…" A creepy chuckle reaches their ears. "Where do you think you're going, Todoroki?!"

Shoto looks over his shoulder, seeing Shoji running at them full speed. Mineta's beady eyes are focused on him from within the shadows of Shoji's tentacles, his hand extending outwards in a ghostly manner.

"I'm tired of you stealing my woman from me. Taru-chan isn't yours. _She's mine_. You don't deserve her sexy existence. She doesn't like you. Me and her were meant to be. Shouldn't you realize that?! We even went on a date! This is where I draw the line!"

"Oh my God." Hotaru whispers from under her breath.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Shoto mutters inaudibly.

"You won't escape this time!" Mineta pulls a purple ball from his scalp. "Take this, my special attack!"

Hotaru knows what his special attack is. He used it during the entrance exam and even just earlier against Midoriya. All he does is launch as many of his purple balls as he can. She hates to admit it, but that would be a huge problem, especially since they are so close to finally cornering Midoriya. Mineta can be formidable if he wants to be, especially right now since he's heated up over something ludicrous. Shoto has the same thoughts. Before he can give out orders to counterattack, Hotaru takes action.

"Mineta-kun," She begins, and Shoto looks down at her with an ambiguous gaze. When he gets a good look at her face, he's reminded of when she challenged him.

With an enticing smile and spellbinding silvery orbs, she turns her head so she's able to lock eyes with Mineta. He freezes just before he unleashes his attack, his cheeks emitting a warm glow as a result of her beautiful features. That expression is so irresistible that it makes him want to launch himself at her. Her head tilts to some extent and her form is suddenly enhanced further with sparkles. He's in a cloud of reverie. She brought him to this wonderful paradise.

"It's hard for me to see you when you're in the shadows." She speaks in an angelic tone, making him poke his entire head out from Shoji's tentacles. Drool is escaping from his agape mouth.

"Taru-chan~!" He reaches out towards her.

"As I thought. Mineta-kun," She smiles further, her eyes drifting to his forehead. "That headband really suits you."

"Doesn't it?" He agrees with a smug chuckle, raising his hand towards his bare forehead.

 _Bare… forehead…?_

"Eh?!" He cries out. "It's gone?!"

"Kero?!" Asui's voice exclaims from within the shadows. Shoji halts in his advance towards them as they start to look around in panic, trying to figure out when their headband was stolen.

"Aihara-san," Yaoyorozu can't stop herself from laughing. "You're so whimsical!"

"You stopped the attack before it even occurred." Iida praises with a smile. "You're amazing!"

"Amazing?" Hotaru utters with wide eyes, staring at the back of his head.

"Yes. You are able to utilize both villain and hero techniques. Only you can do that in such a humane way." He suddenly looks over his shoulder at her, making her cheeks become rose dusted.

"I think so too." Yaoyorozu agrees. "It's a very unique aspect you have."

Are they praising the villain side of her? _How troublingly sweet_. She smiles a little shyly and suddenly finds the rolling wheels beneath her feet very interesting. Just when she gets ready to thank them, Shoto's voice speaks out.

"Everyone, get ready."

That's when she focuses ahead to see they are gaining rapidly on Midoriya. Her body tenses in anticipation when Iida swiftly closes the gap between them. He moves so quickly to cut him off that her and Yaoyorozu's skates skid and kick up dust. Midoriya's team is forced to come to a complete stop, and an intense stare-down occurs. Shoto glares at Midoriya, making sweat break out on his temple.

"I'll be taking that now." Shoto asserts, no room for disagreement at all.

"Only half the time is left." Midoriya grits his teeth. "Don't stop moving!"

Midoriya's team starts to maneuver to escape them. Hotaru adverts her attention away from him due to the pounding of multiple footsteps that almost mimics a stampede. Looking over her shoulder, she can see nearly every single team charging at them. Were they planning on using this confrontation to sweep in and steal their points?

"Hey, Shoto." She turns her head slightly to gesture behind them. "We got company."

"I see." He acknowledges when he takes a look at the rapidly approaching teams. His eyes narrow and he glares at the retreating Midoriya. They need to move quickly. "Iida, forward!"

"Right!" Iida sprints ahead, the speed he's travelling at making Hotaru's hair whip.

"Yaoyorozu, prepare to guard us and conduct electricity." Shoto orders.

"Right." Yaoyorozu begins to create an insulated blanket and rod.

"Aihara, get ready to discharge lightning. Make sure you hit everyone nearby."

"Got it." Hotaru nods. "Guard well. This isn't going to be a pleasant feeling."

"Right." He murmurs, covering himself and Yaoyorozu with her created insulated blanket.

"Here I go." Hotaru lowers her eyelids as blue sparks suddenly emit from her body.

Before she unleashes her attack, she contemplates what voltage she should use. She decides to stick around one million to be on the safe side. It'll be painful and cause a brief paralysis, but it won't be completely overkill either. Her eyelids suddenly fly open and reveal her now glowing cyan eyes, and lightning bursts from her body in all directions.

The whole stadium turns into a blue light-show, and all the teams surrounding them scream in agony. Of course and unfortunately, Midoriya's team manages to escape her trap thanks to Tokoyami. Mineta's scream easily stands out to her, along with Jiro biting out her name. After a few seconds her lightning fades away, leaving her hair a complete frizzy mess which she can't help but to sigh at.

Shoto drops his blanket and grabs onto the stick Yaoyorozu created for him. He lowers the stick so it's grazing against the ground, and Hotaru can feel the coldness of his ice even as he preps it.

"Less than six minutes left. We can't back down now." He says lowly to himself, using his ice to freeze all of their paralyzed opponents to the ground. "Sorry, but you'll just have to bear it."

"What?! What'd he do?!" Present Mic's voice exclaims in shock. "Todoroki took care of that crowd of teams in an instant!"

"He froze them after Aihara's shock stopped them. I guess it should be expected, but he took into account how a lot of people avoided it in the obstacle course." Aizawa's grumbles tiredly from the speakers.

"Nice commentary!"

Hotaru finds herself fighting a laugh because of those two. She always thought of them as an interesting pair since they are complete opposites. She wonders, is there a way she could sneak up to the commentary room to say greet them? It's been a little while since she's stolen a hug from Aizawa, too. Once he gets those bandages off doing that will become impossible.

"I might as well take these." Shoto suddenly speaks, dragging her out of her thoughts. She looks up to see he has stolen two headbands, making someone from Class B curse loudly.

A familiar blue grabs her attention, and Hotaru looks ahead at Midoriya. Her eyes widen the tiniest bit when she sees residue from her lightning flickering around his jet-pack. Steam starts to rise from it and her mouth forms an "o" shape. Did she break that? Now that she really studies them, it looks like all of their equipment is malfunctioning. She killed two birds with one stone.

It's not so simple for Team Midoriya to evade them anymore. They are closing in on them quickly and Uraraka panics. Shoto attempts to reach for Midoriya's headband and Tokoyami immediately takes action.

"I'll restrain them!" He yells out, and his Dark Shadow glides speedily towards Shoto.

"Yaoyorozu!" Shoto warns, and she quickly creates a large concrete shield to block, smiling in success afterwards.

Hotaru's eyes are drawn to Tokoyami's Dark Shadow. Her lips purse as she tries to spot any weaknesses. As of right now, it doesn't seem like there is any. Yes, _it doesn't seem like it_. She knows for a fact there is one, she just can discern it yet. Her brow raises a bit when she notices a nervous drop of sweat on the shadowy creature. It's staring at her almost fearfully.

"Interesting." She murmurs to herself when Shoto suddenly creates an ice wall, confining themselves and Team Midoriya within. It's now just them and no one else. Any interruptions most likely won't happen. The ten million points are nearly within their grasp.

"What?" Shoto sharply inquires at her voice. Her eyelids lower briefly and her teeth grit at his rude tone.

"You're heavy."

"Aihara." He bites out and she sighs loudly, giving him the real answer, _since he acts as if he's a snobby prince_. She didn't exactly tell a lie, though. He is pretty heavy.

"Dark Shadow looks edgy. I was just wondering why. Once I find out…" She pauses dramatically. "You'll be the first to know."

"Good."

"Anything for you, Shoroki." She dully responds.

Iida and Yaoyorozu look over at Hotaru with creased brows of bewilderment.

"Shoroki?" They mutter inaudibly, not sure if they heard that right at all.

Even though Shoto has trapped themselves and the ten million points in an icy prison, it's not making things easier at all. Whenever they advance, Midoriya quickly ducks to the left, _all so Shoto can't freeze them over without freezing Iida in the process_. Hotaru finds herself envying Midoriya's brain. How he can strategize so quickly is astonishing. On top of that, _Dark Shadow is…_

"Annoying." She mutters to herself, her eyes glaring when another lightning strike of hers is blocked. Her irritation is easily detectable by her teammates.

"It's okay, Aihara-san." Yaoyorozu speaks softly, sheepish sweat forming on her face at her villainous expression.

"This is disappointing." Hotaru begins, Yaoyorozu's attempt to calm her down proving to be futile. "It's been five minutes and we still can't take the points."

"...That bastard." Shoto's teeth grit as he seethes. He'll do himself in if he freezes indiscriminately. Tokoyami can defend against Hotaru's lightning. He can't attack with ice without hitting his own team. _There's only one minute left._

"Should I just hit them with a billion volts?" Hotaru grumbles.

"And become useless afterwards?" Shoto retorts.

"I'm practically useless now. So, I don't see the problem."

"We'll become stranded if you pass out, Aihara-san." Yaoyorozu frowns at her suggestion.

"Everyone," Iida suddenly speaks up seriously, making them look at him. "There's less than a minute left. You won't be able to use me after this. I'm counting on you!"

"Iida?" Shoto whispers, confused.

"Hang on tight. Make sure you get it, Todoroki-kun!"

Iida suddenly leans forward, falling into a deep lunge. Hotaru's eyes widen when the pipes on his thighs abruptly begin to spew hot and flaming gases. The brightness of the exhaust makes her squint. _Hold on a second._ What's he about to do? _Hang on tight?_ She gasps when it hits her.

"Wait, wait, wait…!" She begins pathetically. Her arm that's been holding up Shoto has been quivering for a while now. How is she supposed to keep him upright?!

"Torque Over…!" Iida exclaims, ignoring her completely. "Reciproburst!"

Before she can even comprehend it, Iida shoots forward with explosive speed. Her body jerks and the rushing air stings her eyes, her hair thrashing wildly. The sudden acceleration is so vigorous her hand involuntarily falls away from his shoulder. If it wasn't for Iida's hand gripping hers tightly, she's sure she would've fallen back.

They pass by Midoriya's team in a flash, and Shoto manages to swipe the ten-million-point headband. Iida skids to a stop near the edge of the field, _an immediate stop_. Hotaru lets out a squeak when she's now suddenly flying forward instead of backwards. It's one thing travelling this fast herself, but when someone else is doing it with her in tow, it's completely different.

If she didn't suddenly lock up her muscles and body, she would've slammed into Shoto's backside. His… _backside_. Her face turns red. It's too close. _Help—!_ Shoto's hand settles atop her head to steady himself as he becomes unbalanced like she did, and her eyes turn beady and resemble buttons.

"What happened?! So fast! So fast!" Present Mic yells. "Iida, if you can accelerate that fast, then show us in the prelims!"

Shoto's hand falls away from Hotaru's hair, but her dazed expression remains unchanged. That one odd stand of hair that never stays down was pressed down by his hand, but the moment he removes it, it springs back up. He brings their newly acquired headband around his neck, inside-out like the others and in a shuffled position. Either he's choosing to ignore using her head as an anchor, or he's genuinely shocked at Iida's speed. _Maybe even both_.

"What was that?" Shoto inquires with wide eyes, astounded.

"By forcing the torque and rotations to increase, I created an explosive power." Iida answers through his heavy breaths, smoke spewing from his pipes. "With the recoil, my engines stall after a while, though. It's a secret move I hadn't told anyone in class yet. I told you, didn't I, Midoriya-kun?" He looks over and smirks at the now disgruntled Midoriya. "That I'd challenge you."

"The tables are turned!" Present Mic cheers, the audience cheering loudly along with him. "Offense and defense right at the edge! Reining that in, Todoroki gets the ten million! And Midoriya is suddenly left with zero points!"

"Get back in there!" Midoriya cries out, pure adrenaline and desperation flowing through his veins.

"As long as they have Aihara, we'll be at a disadvantage if we attack!" Tokoyami disagrees, and Dark Shadow shakes his head in fright at going in for an attack. "Won't it be safer to try for other points right now?"

"No! I don't know how the other points got split up! This is our only chance!"

"All right!" Uraraka suddenly exclaims, pushing them forward. Midoriya looks down at her in surprise and she meets his gaze. "We'll get it back, Deku-kun! We definitely will!"

"Here they come!" Yaoyorozu's eyes narrow as she readies herself.

"Get ready!" Iida's teeth grit.

"...How is this battle not over yet?" Hotaru merely mutters, feeling nothing but miserable since Iida's Reciproburst. "...I don't understand…"

She only snaps out of her pathetic state when she catches sight of Midoriya's arm. It's glowing and sparking, his muscles bulging as he creates a tight fist. Her breath gets caught in her throat as she stares at him. What's with this overwhelming power she's sensing? It's almost as if he's an inferior spinoff of All Might. Inferior or not, she knows for sure his next attack is going to pack a punch, _and it's aiming for Shoto_.

Instinctively, she raises her hand from Iida's shoulder to attack him. The moment she does, she feels heat that isn't her own. She looks over, drawing in a sharp breath when she sees flames emerging from Shoto's left arm. This is the first time she's seeing his flames and her vision focuses on the flickering light.

It's so warm, _comforting_. Like a candle in a dark room, or like a tranquil fire on a snowy night. It's light glows and illuminates his skin. It's pretty and not like any fire she's ever seen. Her lips slowly part and something in her stirs. What is this feeling?

Midoriya closes in on them, and she forces herself to focus on him instead. His glowing hand moves towards Shoto, and Shoto raises his flaming hand to counter. Sparks start to emit from Hotaru's fingertips. Just as she starts to unleash her attack, and before Shoto can even release his flames to their full potential, Midoriya does something unexpected.

He moves at a speed they didn't think he was capable of. _They miscalculated._ He swipes his arm through the air, creating a gale that diminishes Shoto's flames. Shoto's arm is knocked aside and so is her own, _resulting in her shooting her lightning somewhere unintended_. It's heading straight towards the audience, and Midoriya's hand is now heading towards the headbands around Shoto's neck. It's like she's at a crossroad again. She hates this feeling.

She can stop Midoriya, but the audience is about to get hit with her lightning. The color drains from her face. Why isn't there some sort of barrier to protect them? Her silver eyes zone in on the many panicked expressions.

Her body is moving on its own once again, _but not to stop Midoriya_. Unknowing to her, Cementoss is in the process of creating a concrete shield to stop her stray attack. He's going to make it on time. However, she acts more quickly than he does.

Her strikes always travel along a straight path. That's how she's always done it to ensure she doesn't miss her target. However, true lightning never travels in a linear fashion. It twists and bends. Lightning itself is unpredictable, but she never let hers be. She never knew how. Her lightning is still attached to her finger. This is her quirk. She should be able to control it. She has a firm hold. _Just this once…_

"Please," She whispers to herself, her lightning suddenly feeling like it's an extra limb. Her eyes glow and she draws in a deep breath. With the flick of her finger, a bend forms in her strike and it shoots skywards instead, right when Midoriya cries out.

"I got it!"

With nervous sweat on her face, she looks up at Shoto in panic. A headband is missing from his neck. He's holding onto his left arm tightly and with a resentful expression. She fears the worst until she hears the support course girl speak.

"Wait a minute. Isn't this the wrong headband?" She asks Midoriya, and sure enough, _it is._

"Just in case, we changed the position of the headbands!" Yaoyorozu reveals. "You were naive, Midoriya-san!"

"Todoroki-kun, get a hold of yourself!" Iida glares at Shoto who's currently having an inside battle with himself. "That was close!"

"It's not his fault!" Hotaru abruptly yells, not being able to help herself. Even when she's angry at Shoto, she still can't stop herself from defending him. Her throat grows tight in frustration. "There was nothing any of us could've done. _Nothing_. Midoriya-kun… he's strong."

"Time's just about up!" Present Mic shrills. "Start the countdown!"

 _10 seconds left._

"Tokoyami!" Midoriya cries out, and Dark Shadow starts to make a beeline towards Shoto.

Snapping out of it, Shoto yells instinctively and brings an insulated blanket over himself.

"Taru!"

The desperation in his voice and how he used her nickname makes her chest grow heavy. When he calls to her like that, there's no way she can't comply. She acts instantly upon his command and discharges lightning, forcing Dark Shadow to fall back. As if on cue, Bakugo suddenly bursts through Shoto's wall of ice.

"Damn Deku!" He roars.

"Uraraka-san!" Midoriya calls out.

"Got it!" Uraraka exclaims, moving forward quickly.

Everyone present is charging towards Shoto for the ten million points. Iida tries to move, but he's stuck in place due to his earlier speed boost. Hotaru's eyes narrow and she inhales deeply, bracing herself. Her pulse is racing away and pounding in her ears.

"Yaoyorozu!" Shoto shouts, and she creates a metal pole for him to use. He coats it with ice, getting ready to counterattack their opponents.

"Half-and-Half Bastard!" Bakugo growls. Him and Midoriya are nearly within reaching distance when Present Mic yells.

"Time's up!"

Bakugo face-plants on the ground while spitting out curses, and Midoriya clenches his fists in frustration. Hotaru can't help letting out a relieved sigh and Shoto hops back down onto the ground, cursing despite their victory. Instantly, Hotaru rubs at her sore arm and turns away from Shoto, stepping out of her skates as she does. He doesn't say a "thank you" to her or anyone else, making her teeth grit.

"Let's take a look at the top four teams right away! In first place, Team Todoroki!" Present Mic reveals.

"Even though we won, it felt like we were skating on thin ice." Yaoyorozu says somewhat breathlessly, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Sorry…" Iida begins dejectedly. "I caused everyone trouble."

"That's not true." Yaoyorozu shakes her head in disagreement, bringing her hand over her chest with a smile. "Without you, we would not have won. Right, Aihara-san?"

"Right." Hotaru whispers.

Her weak and strained voice makes them look over at her. She looks melancholy as she holds onto her arm, staring at Shoto who's busy glaring hatefully at Midoriya who's sobbing in relief at making it to the next round. Wrinkles form in her sleeve as her grip on her arm tightens.

"Are you alright, Aihara-san?" Yaoyorozu inquires worriedly.

"Yeah." Hotaru nods her head, forcing a smile and turning to her. Yaoyorozu frowns slightly, seeing through her fake smile. "I-I'm… sorry. Excuse me."

Hotaru bows in apology and excuses herself, walking away with a shadow over her face. She passes by Shoto, but he doesn't even spare her a glance. Her jaw grows almost painfully tight and her eyes glare at the ground.

Present Mic is still announcing the results by the time she leaves the stadium's field, and he announces an hour lunch break the moment she steps into the waiting room that was assigned to her. She closes the door softly behind her, slumping backwards against it and gazing ahead vacantly.

A quivering breath escapes her lips and she raises her hands towards her face, wiping away tears of frustration before they can fall. _That asshole_. He fakes kindness to get what he wants, won't even say a "thank you," talks so rudely, doesn't consider her a friend, doesn't even trust her… _He's making her hate him._

She's starting to fall back into that dark world. She brings her hands over her face, slowly sinking to the ground. Today must be really hard for him because his old man is here. _She understands that._ But, can't she understand why he's acting so vulgar towards herself and others. It's inexcusable.

"Damn you, Shoto…" She breathes out, her fingers getting tangled into her hair. "Damn you. Please, don't make me think _he_ was right this entire time. I can't bear it."

She's suddenly plagued by thoughts of her parents and her eyes squeeze shut. Her mind is her own worst enemy. It feels as if she has no energy left. She's tired. _So very tired._ Unfortunately, there's still the final event to get through. She has no time to feel exhausted like this. Her hands fall away from her face.

If she could just forget about him entirely, just for today, that would be great. That's just wistful thinking, though. A fantasy that won't come true. All she can do is continue to endure. However, she can only endure so much. She wonders how much more she can take before she hits her breaking point. Her lips twitch upwards.

 _Or, has she already reached that point?_

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Sham

❤•○●○•❤

She hears them before she steps out into the open. She hears them before her name is even called. All of those ornery voices, all of those loud boos, they make her stay rooted in the shadows instead of heading out to the battlefield.

Act as a hero and she gets reprimanded. Act as a villain and she gets denounced. Simply show her face and she gets admonished. Try her best and it's a crime. Her parents made sure of that. Her parents... _they won_.

Slowly, she brings her hands over her ears and shuts her eyes, blindly walking into the open.


	25. Sham

**minirie:** i'm literally so excited for her matches, too~ it's something i've been so eager to write for so long! i agree 100% , ehe ❤ that "Taru" really was something. (´ ∀ ` *) thank you so much! i'm trying my best for sure. i hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **winddemon199:** thank you ! you read that right, too ! and yeah .. it is disappointing not going to lie. o(TヘTo) , i had to make some adjustments to canon events for my plot to work out, sorry about that. (＞﹏＜) but don't worry Kaminari is staying ! i love him too much, aha. i hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **LadyAmazon:** she really is going through so much (｡╯︵╰｡) ❤ , you're absolutely right about that. nobody seems to give her a break. Hotaru appreciates your support endlessly and so do i! i hope you enjoy this chapter !

 **bbymojo:** you're so welcome ~ ! (* ^ ω ^) i mean every word, haha. ❤ _i'm_ touched! yay, chapter highlights! Shinso and Hotaru definitely made a huge improvement here, and it'll for sure impact their future interactions ❤ as for Shoto and Hotaru, yeah things are getting pretty bumpy between them. his stress with his father isn't helping, and Hotaru is starting to get fed up with him bc of that. he'll definitely have to apologize to her properly. will he do it? that drawing was for a future chapter, so... probably? ╮( ˘ ､ ˘ )╭ , haha ! ｡ﾟ( ﾟ^∀^ﾟ)ﾟ｡ and yes Hotaru is so hard on herself it's sad. hopefully she'll come out of this sports festival stronger than ever ! i think she will. i hope you enjoy this chapter ! i enjoyed writing this one, but i'm enjoying writing this next one even more! things are getting exciting ~ ! thank _you_ for being awesome ! seriously, sending you tons of virtual hearts, too! ❤

 **Oblivious IJ:** it sure ain't. * _desperately patches the holes in their ship_ * .｡･ﾟﾟ･(＞_＜)･ﾟﾟ･｡.

 **Lavi-hime 4E -3:** my heart is hurting for her too (｡•́︿•̀｡) he should apologize soon... with flowers. ehe, next chapter for you ❤

 **Emocean:** aahh, i'm so happy you enjoyed it! i hope so too ~ and i'm sure she will ! she's so strong but she doesn't even realize it! thank you a ton ! ❤ i hope you enjoy this chapter ! cheers!

 **pinkpaladin:** eheh (≧◡≦) she definitely wasn't expecting people to team up with her, ha. writing her interactions with everyone is so fun, and i'm so happy you enjoyed it ! next chappy for you ~ ! ❤ i hope you enjoy!

•○●○•

 **hi, everyone!**

 **my spring break is here, yay ~ !**

 **and the tulips in my yard are starting to pop out of the ground, too. i'm so happy.** ( **you guys make me happier, though** ) (ﾉ´ з `)ノ

 **but, the bugs are coming back which is sad.** (｡╯︵╰｡) **, but, that's life.**

 **as always, i appreciate you all. thank you for reading, and i'm so happy to be able share my writing with you!**

 **please, take care of yourselves! stay healthy. viruses are going around ..** :(

 **drink lots of water and wash your hands.** ❤

 **i'm sending love to everyone ! we're in this together !**

•○●○•

 **i really enjoyed writing this chapter, and i hope everyone enjoys reading it!**

 **i apologize for any errors you may come across.. ya'll know i always miss some mistakes, aha.** (ノ_＜。)

 **anyways, please, enjoy ~ !**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Sham

❤•○●○•❤

Gradually, Hotaru starts to fall forward. Before she hits the ground, her body jerks upright and she gasps. Her silver eyes fly open, and she blinks numerous times in bewilderment. She lets out a jaw-stretching yawn, rubbing at her eyes. She's still sitting on the floor. Did she really fall asleep? Or, was she just on the verge of it?

She looks over at the hanging wall clock, seeing that it's only fifteen minutes into the lunch break. She should hurry and get something to eat before time is up. That's what she thinks to herself, at least. Honestly, food doesn't sound good to her at all. Her appetite is nonexistent. Even though she's not hungry, she should at least get something to drink.

Her fingers brush against the ground and she pushes herself up. Once she's on her feet, she stares at the glove her hand is still confined in and the wrappings on her arm. Carefully, she removes them and walks over to set them on the table. She should probably return these to Yaoyorozu. Most likely she doesn't have a need for these, but she should ask before throwing them out on her own accord.

It feels good to no longer be confined by her quirk's worst enemy. Suddenly, she raises her hand in front of her face and her eyes narrow slightly. Sparks emit from her palm and she flexes her fingers.

Speaking of her quirk, she was able to change the trajectory of it for the first time ever. It feels weird being able to do something new. She's sure it was only a spur of the moment type of thing combined with desperation, but surely she can manage to do that again. She'll ponder over it some more later.

Before she turns to leave, she stares at her phone resting upon the tabletop. The sleek screen is pitch black and no notification light is flashing. She picks it up and powers it on, feeling a small surge of disappointment. She was expecting to at least see some messages from Daichi. However, she smiles slightly as a thought strikes her. Did he misplace his phone again?

Shaking her head, she sets her phone back down and heads towards the door. She turns the doorknob and pushes it open. She looks over her shoulder one last time before closing the door behind her. It's only when she starts walking down the hall when her phone starts to blow up with notifications.

As she walks, her hands shove themselves into her pockets. Her eyelids lower slightly when Shoto's heterochromia eyes suddenly flash before her. She really can't believe he's getting to her this much. It's frustrating. But, what's frustrating her the most is how she's letting him get to her.

She rounds a corner followed by another. She even passes by a staircase. Suddenly, she raises her hand and fiddles with some strands of her hair. If she's being honest with herself, _she has absolutely no clue where they are serving lunch at_.

The moment she turns down a random hall, she bumps into someone giant. _Someone giant and burning hot_. If she wasn't accustomed to heat thanks to her much hotter lightning, she's sure she would've been burned. Sweat forms on her temple when she looks up into glaring turquoise eyes.

"Watch where you're going, _villain!_ " He barks at her.

For a few more seconds, she only continues to stare at him. His flames flicker violently, and her eyes narrow the tiniest bit. He's making her current bad mood even worse. Looking away from him, she mutters.

"Sorry."

She starts to step around him until he moves and blocks her path. Slowly, she expressionlessly meets his eyes once more. His glare is far more intense than just earlier. Did her apology set him off?

"Did you forget my warning?" He growls out, livid.

His warning? _Oh._ He's talking about Shoto. Is he dumb? Shoto is the one who asked her to team up with him. Shoto is the one who grabbed her wrist earlier to drag her away from him. She's not the one making contact with him first. Well, at least from what he's seen.

"Sorry." She apologizes again. "It did slip my mind. I'll make sure I won't forget this time."

"An apology from a villain such as yourself means nothing to me. Don't even look at my masterpiece."

"Your… masterpiece?" She utters, her head lowering just enough so a shadow falls over her face.

His words make her reminisce how her father always calls her "his prodigy." It seems Shoto has to put up with that same nonsense. Her fingers curl into tight fists. How disgusting. She keeps her glaring eyes downcast.

"I hope you meant to say, 'your son.'" She speaks in monotone. "You sounded like you were referring to a tool of some sorts. Your son is a person, and all individuals have their own feelings and aspirations. You should respect that."

"What would you know about respect? A villain such as yourself with bloodied hands? A murderer such as yourself trying to be a hero? You're nothing but a sham." His flaming form towers over her in a threatening manner. "Don't forget that."

He shoves his way past her, making her stumble on her feet. He made sure he got the last word. Her lips are parted as she stares at her feet, her curled fingers slowly straightening out. A… _sham?_ Her shoulders quiver and she lets out a laugh, hunching forward as she does. If she's a sham, what does that make him?

She has so much to say to him right now. _So much to say_. Her flesh is staticky and she's completely infuriated. She's losing it. At least she's compassionate. At least she actually thinks of the well-being of others. After all, _she genuinely cares about Shoto more than he's ever had_. Even when he's an asshole. It's frustrating, _but damn_. She still can't just disregard him. Anyone for that matter. She could never treat anyone as insolently as this man treats Shoto, _unless they give her a worthy reason to._

"What's so funny, villain?" Endeavor speaks in a low and dangerous tone, having turned around when she began laughing hysterically.

She wants to tell him what's so funny, but she doesn't find him worth wasting her breath on. She's going to keep this hilarious encounter to herself and think back to it often. Every time she thinks back to this moment, she'll be reminded of what a prick the Number Two Hero is.

She merely waves him off from over her shoulder, continuing on her way while still giggling to herself. Not getting an answer makes him even more furious and he roars loudly. Her lips curve upwards as she suddenly feels proud of herself. Holding her tongue like that was actually quite hard.

The refreshing breeze caresses her face as she steps outside, and the sunlight greets her just as lovingly. There are many food and game stands neatly aligned, and in the near distance she spots a building many students are gathered around. That must be where the cafeteria is. She makes a beeline towards it, passing by many pro heroes as she does. However, she tries not to make eye contact with them.

She steps into the cafeteria full of all the first-year students. Surprisingly, it doesn't look that much different than the main school cafeteria. Her eyes scout the area for anyone she knows. The two people she spots make her smile and run over. Of course, they notice her right away.

"Taru-chan!" Kaminari waves at her. She comes to a stop in front of him, grabbing onto his hand.

"Kaminari-kun!" She beams brightly, happy to see him. However, she's soon frowning. "What happened to you? I thought you were doing well in the obstacle course, but I didn't see you in the cavalry battle…"

"Yeah," He begins a little sheepishly. "About that—"

"Taru-chan!" Mineta whines loudly, holding his hand out to her. "What about me?"

"I see you, Mineta-kun." She smiles and holds onto his hand, too. She looks back at Kaminari. "So, what happened?"

"Let's sit." He sighs.

In little to no time at all, the three of them are sitting at a table together. The two boys have their own trays of food while Hotaru decided to settle with just ice water. She's sitting between them. She takes a sip from her glass before setting it atop the table, gazing at Kaminari curiously.

"I was doing really good. Well, not the best. But, good enough." He begins, and she nods. "I managed to stay in twenty-fourth place for nearly the entire time. Until _she_ appeared."

"She?" Hotaru tilts her head in confusion. He suddenly points across the cafeteria and at a girl with long green hair. Green hair that's actually made up of vines.

"She's cute, isn't she?" He asks, making her look back at him with a dull expression.

"Don't tell me you got distracted by her visuals or something."

"No!" He quickly denies that, stabbing his beef with his fork. "This is what happened…"

•

 _Kaminari balances across the thin rope of The Fall as quickly as possible. He thought the zero-point faux villains were overkill, but this second barrier is proving otherwise. He's nearly across until a shadow passes over his head._

 _He looks up, squinting against the sunlight. An angelic girl with vines for hair is passing over him. She had used her hair to launch herself over to the next pillar instead of taking the time to balance on the ropes._

 _She lands on the pillar he's nearly about to make it to. However, she loses her footing. With a gasp, her vines extend and become rooted into the ground before she falls over the edge. She steadies herself, successfully. When her vines pull out of the ground, it takes a tiny chunk of the pillar with it. That tiny chunk happens to be holding the rope Kaminari is atop of. He starts to fall with a cry, and she turns around with tears in her eyes._

" _Please, forgive me! This was not my intention!" She weeps, trying to reach for him although he's too far away. Not even her vines will be of use since he's already plunged so deeply into the shadows. "I hope that you will find peace…"_

•

Once Kaminari finishes his story, Hotaru can only stare at him with wide eyes. She blinks a few times, replaying his story over and over again in her head. It sounds like he had an encounter with an angel. _An unfortunate and unlucky encounter_. She looks over at the vine girl.

"Yeah." Kaminari sighs heavily, clenching his fists. "I was so frustrated. I'm still frustrated. But, if failing was my destiny, I'm happy she was the one to make me fail."

"You're lucky, Kaminari." Mineta nods, agreeing with his words. Hotaru looks between the two of them with a raised brow. How they are satisfied with this… _is concerning_.

"I just hope I don't get kicked out of the hero course…" Kaminari suddenly speaks in a sad tone, making her heart drop into the pit of her stomach.

She shakes her head instantly at that, turning in his direction with a consoling smile. Her eyes radiate a calmness like no other, and his cheeks darken when she leans closer to him.

"You won't get kicked out of the hero course. I know you won't. Because you're Denki Kaminari!" She begins with an even more captivating smile. "You didn't make it to the next round, but don't worry. I doubt these heroes would kick you out just because of your placement. I'm sure they focus primarily on your performance, and you did great. Let's not forget the many great things you already achieved in the hero course, too. So, Kaminari-kun,"

Her eyes shut briefly, and when they reopen they are sparkling brightly. He becomes breathless and Mineta gawks in jealousy, wishing she was looking at him like that instead. She places her hand on his shoulder, giving him a gentle and encouraging squeeze.

"Don't worry. You're not going anywhere. You're staying in Class A. Besides," She laughs. "As if I would let anyone steal my friend away from me."

"Taru-chan!" Kaminari cries out with tears in his eyes.

Without warning, he brings his arms around her for a tight hug. She gasps at his actions and a pink dusting spreads across her cheeks. It's almost not present, but she can feel him quivering. He must've been very worried. Before long, her eyelids lower and she brings her arms around him too with upward curved lips. Mineta screeches so loudly the entire cafeteria takes notice.

"You're the best. Seriously." He whispers, and she shakes her head.

"I wouldn't say the best. But, thank you." She laughs a bit when they pull back.

"Why do you always talk down on yourself?" He frowns deeply at her, making her blink. "You really are amazing."

"It's true, Taru-chan." Mineta agrees with Kaminari, his tiny arms hugging her close next.

This is the third time someone referred to herself as amazing today. As a result, her expression softens, and she stares into her glass of water in an almost wistful manner. She really is touched, and she really does always degrade herself.

She should stop doing that. However, it's hard when there's so many people who think so lowly of her. She hasn't forgotten about the people who support her though. It's just she simply can't forget about the negative people too, just like she can't forget about her past. Endeavor's words didn't help her with that either.

"Sorry." She apologizes softly. "I'm trying to see what you guys see. That's my goal right now—to see all the good things in me that you and everyone else can. I guess I still have some ways to go."

"You can do it…" Mineta coos, his finger poking at her waist. "I know you can…"

She looks at him mutely, and he looks up into her eyes that are flashing dangerously at his actions. He draws back from her in fright and Kaminari snickers, resting his elbow atop the table.

"You're too hard on yourself. I don't really get it, honestly." He says.

"I know." She sweat-drops, and suddenly, he grins.

"Anyways," He starts up smoothly. "Me and you. Movies. What do you say?"

"Hold on a second!" Mineta blurts, jabbing a finger at him. "I'm going too!"

The two of them suddenly start bickering back and forth about who's worthy of going to the movies with her. She looks between them both with a small pout, nonchalantly sipping her water. She doesn't understand why they all can't go to the movies together. Either way, just their presence in general makes her lips curl upwards.

She's happy she's sitting with them right now. They really improved her mood just now and took her mind far away from where it previously was. Perhaps it's only temporary, but she's going to immerse in this happiness regardless.

"Oh, right." Kaminari suddenly faces her seriously. "You heard about the cheer battle that's going to happen, right?"

"Cheer battle?" She repeats with furrowed brows.

"Yeah." Mineta points across the room, leading her to stare at sparkling American cheerleaders running about. "They said everyone has to wear those clothes to do a cheer battle."

"...Seriously?" Hotaru grows slightly pale at that. "What's the point of that? Are you…?" Her eyes glare at them as she feels skeptical. "Are you messing with me?! There's no way that's a thing!"

"But, it is." Mineta calmly shakes his head. "It's a U.A. Sports Festival tradition."

"It's the truth." Kaminari affirms. "Just ask Yaoyorozu. She knows all about it."

"N-No way…" Hotaru wraps her arms around herself tightly, her cheeks growing warm. "That's… it makes no sense… Why?!"

While she's panicking, Mineta and Kaminari exchange an evil thumbs up.

•○●○•

"This is actually happening? I _actually_ have to put this on?" Hotaru inquires dreadfully when Yaoyorozu hands her a cheer uniform.

Currently, her along with the rest of the Class A girls are in the locker room, swapping out their gym uniforms for these cheer ones. Everyone is putting it on, even Yaoyorozu. This cheer battle must be a real thing. However, she still can't wrap her head around it.

"Yes." Yaoyorozu sighs, seeming disgruntled by this like herself. "Apparently Aizawa-sensei mentioned it."

"T-This is stupid!" Jiro cries out, holding the uniform in disgust.

"It might be fun!" Hagakure spins around happily, already dressed in the cheer outfit and shaking her pom-poms.

"I hope so…" Uraraka smiles a little unsurely.

"Either way, let's try our best!" Ashido pumps her fist in the air.

"Kero…" Asui croaks miserably.

"Well, whatever." Hotaru mumbles, pulling her shirt up and over her head which leaves her in her sports bra. "It can't be helped. Are the guys cheering too? It's only fair."

"I would assume so." Yaoyorozu tilts her head as she speculates, adjusting her orange top. "Or, I wonder if we'll be cheering for them. The Sports Festival is also made up of recreational activities."

"I see…" Hotaru whispers, folding her shirt thoughtfully.

These recreational activities must be more about having fun than appealing to the Pro Heroes. Thinking of it that way makes this cheer battle make more sense. The first thing that comes to mind is rock climbing, but knowing U.A., these recreational activities probably won't be the typical ones.

She holds the cheer top up in front of her. It's revealing, but not to the point it'll show off anything that she doesn't want to put on display. Even so, she tilts her head back and sighs. This whole cheer battle is disappointing.

With pursed lips she puts the fitted top on, "U.A." now written across her chest. She puts on the short skirt next followed by the knee socks and matching choker. Once she slides on her pink tennis shoes she stops in front of the mirror, placing her hands on her hips as she studies her reflection.

This orange and green outfit leaves her whole midriff exposed, and shows off the majority of her thighs and the entirety of her arms. _She's officially a cheerleader_. Her lips downturn and she wraps her arms over her midsection, not being a huge fan of showing so much skin. She looks too much like a certain someone.

"You look pretty, Taru-chan!" Hagakure skips over to her.

"I look like my mom." Hotaru whispers, hesitantly letting her arms hang at her sides.

"Kero," Asui looks over, her finger against her chin. "A little. But, it's not bad."

Hotaru looks over at the frog-like girl with widened eyes, her hand moving over her chest. Her heart staggers at her words. _It's not bad?_ Her whole life people always told her how much she looks like her parents. Back when the press was going crazy at the front gates of school, they cruelly compared their appearance to theirs. Just taking a look at her face, her eyes especially, people instantly think of her parents. In her younger years she was referred to as a "man girl."

"Right." Yaoyorozu agrees with a kind smile. "It's not bad at all. It's only natural we take after our parents. But, we don't take after them completely. Aihara-san, you have your own unique image."

"You look like Hotaru!" Hagakure cheers energetically, making her silver eyes widen further.

"Yeah!" Uraraka agrees, running over. "You look like you!"

"Even though you do share some features with your parents," Jiro begins with slightly red cheeks as she takes in Hotaru's undeniably beautiful form. "You totally rock those features better than they do."

"So, don't even compare yourself to them, even if it's just a little." Ashido beams, bringing her hands down onto Hotaru's shoulders, shaking her back and forth. "Be confident in yourself!"

"You're amazing, Taru-chan." Asui nods with a lopsided smile.

"Beautiful, too." Yaoyorozu speaks genuinely.

Gradually, Hotaru's irises shrink as all the air in her lungs is knocked out. She stares at the ground that's growing more blurry by the second. Her hand falls away from her chest, her arms limply hanging at her sides.

"...Beautiful?" She repeats that single word, the world around her falling away.

•

" _Sho, am I—?"_

" _Don't listen to them!" Shoto quickly cuts her off, gazing into her eyes sincerely. "You're beautiful. So, don't listen to them!"_

•

That single word, _their words_ , they resonate so deeply. They make her think back to when she was first called "beautiful." They overwhelm her in a way she's not sure whether to describe as good or bad. Seriously, _what the hell?_ Just what are they trying to do? She doesn't know how to react. When she doesn't know how to react like this, the most pathetic thing happens— _she starts to cry._

She lowers her eyelids over her glassy eyes. How many more times today is she going to be on the verge of tears? Tears of frustration, tears of sadness, _and now tears of happiness_. Her lips curve upwards right when a warm trail glides down her cheek. Happy tears is something she doesn't mind shedding. In moments when she's speechless like now, they convey her unspoken words.

"T-Taru-chan?!" Uraraka begins in panic, noticing the tears falling down her face.

"Are you alright?" Yaoyorozu asks, startled as well. "Hold on, let me get some tissue."

Ashido and Asui move to help Hotaru sit down on the nearby bench. Hagakure pats her back when Yaoyorozu returns with a box of tissue. Hotaru wordlessly and thankfully takes the soft cloth, burying her face in it with a gentle laugh. A couple silent minutes go by before she finally speaks.

"Sorry. You guys are just…" She snivels. "Too nice?"

"More like you're too sensitive." Jiro sighs heavily, smirking afterwards. "Learn how to take a compliment."

Hotaru lowers the tissue from her tear stained face with a small smile. She stares at the damp cloth, her eyelids lowering slightly. Accepting compliments is something she needs to get better at. Although, that's not the primary reason she reached this point.

"Actually," She begins honestly. "I'm just grateful. I haven't been having the best day, and you all just made it so much better. I'm really happy to have friends like you. Thank you… for putting up with me."

"Aw~!" Hagakure plops down next to her, holding onto her tight. "We're happy to have you as a friend too~! We should hang out after school! And go shopping!"

"Oh!" Ashido raises her hand into the hair happily. "I vote sleepover!"

"That sounds fun." Asui smiles with a nod of approval.

"Yes!" Yaoyorozu suddenly grins widely, sparkles surrounding her flawless form. "I've always wanted to have a sleepover. I'll make preparations right away! Please, everyone, let me know a date that works for you."

"Yay!" Everyone throws their arms into the air as they cheer.

Instantly afterwards, everyone gasps and looks at Hotaru with exceedingly wide eyes. Slowly and with warm cheeks, Hotaru lowers her hands from the air and rests them in her lap. Her eyelashes flutter as she blinks rapidly and numerous times, feeling skittish all of a sudden.

"W-What?" She stutters out. "Was I too loud?"

"I've never seen you get so excited before." Uraraka gawks.

"It's a little weird. But, it's not bad." Asui says.

"No offense, but I didn't know you were capable of getting excited like that." Jiro utters with an agape mouth.

"You're always so proper it's kind of intimidating." Ashido muses aloud. "And when you're not proper you're intimidating."

"Huh?" Hotaru pouts as she leans towards her. "So, does that mean I'm always intimidating?"

"But just now you were cute!" Hagakure says with a smile evident in her tone. "You're really cute, Taru-chan~!"

"T-Thank you." Hotaru mumbles, bringing her hand to the back of her neck.

She shifts slightly when Hagakure leans into her with a giggle, and that shift in her position makes her catch sight of her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes are instantly drawn to her frizzy mess of hair and she raises her hand towards it.

"Does anyone happen to have an extra hairband?" She asks. "I'll make sure to return it to you."

"I do." Yaoyorozu smiles, and Hotaru can't help but sweat-drop when she literally creates one.

"Thank you." She takes it gratefully. "Sorry for the trouble."

"It's not a problem at all." She waves her off, then doing a head tilt. "Aihara-san, your quirk makes your hair frizzy, doesn't it?"

"Mhm." She nods as she tries to gather all of it with her hands. "It's pretty embarrassing."

"Did you know there was a hair product that can prevent that?" She inquires, making Hotaru freeze from head to toe.

It takes a while for her words to click, and she can almost swear she was just hearing things. In a flash, she turns to Yaoyorozu with bright silvery eyes, grinning from ear to ear.

"Is there really? I thought there had to be one out there, but I wasn't sure, and I could never find it. Where can I get—?"

Her words come to an abrupt halt when Yaoyorozu holds out a white bottle with a bright yellow lightning bolt in the middle. Carefully, she grabs onto it in somewhat of a daze. It's a hair mask infused with organic ingredients.

"This…" She murmurs, slowly looking back up at Yaoyorozu in awe.

"It's a product made exclusively for those with electric-based quirks." She explains blissfully. "It is quite hard to find, and it's sold at a high price. There is a shop downtown that sells beauty products such as this for all kinds of quirk-users." She beams. "You can have this."

"No way." She breathes out. "Seriously? Thank you! How much was this? Let me pay you back."

"It cost nothing." Yaoyorozu does a rather dramatic hair flip. "I created it myself."

"That's so cool." Uraraka stares at the bottle with an agape mouth and rose dusted cheeks. It looks like she's staring at something sacred, and she may as well be. "It's so upper class!"

"Let's try it out." Ashido gently takes the bottle from Hotaru. "Can I do your hair, Taru-chan?"

"Can I help too?" Hagakure blurts in excitement.

"Oh." Hotaru looks to the ground with a shy smile. "S-Sure."

Everyone crowds around her for the sole purpose to do her hair and engage in friendly chit-chat. If she felt happiness with Kaminari and Mineta earlier, can this moment be called pure bliss? She never thought she would have a bunch of girlfriends like this. It feels too surreal to be true. If she really is dreaming, she doesn't want to wake up— _at least that's what she claims until she sees her hair._

"I don't like it. Take it out." She speaks in a villainous tone.

"But it's cute!" Hagakure whines.

"Don't like it."

"Well, that's too bad." Ashido grabs onto her hand, pulling her onto her feet. "Now, let's go!"

"H-Hey!" Hotaru cries out when she's dragged away against her will.

•○●○•

"Huh?" Aizawa does a double take. "What are they doing?"

"What's the matter, Class A? What kind of fanservice is that?!" Present Mic yells.

Shoto naturally looks over at the sudden commotion, and he finds the cause of it instantly. His eyes grow wide. Seriously, _what are they doing?_ They stand out like sore thumbs, _especially her_. He can't seem to tear his eyes away.

She's standing there, dressed as a cheerleader and holding bright yellow pom-poms. Her hair, no longer frizzy and now embellished with a healthy shine, is tied up in pigtails with white ribbons. Her dark curly tresses flutter in the breeze and the shorter strands frame her faultless face. Bit by bit, her lips part.

At a slow pace, she lowers her pom-poms so they hang by her perfectly pinched waist. Her silver eyes take in her surroundings. No one else here is dressed in a cheer outfit. It's only her and her friends. Why?

"What?" She murmurs to herself. Present Mic, did he say "fanservice?"

 _Fanservice…?_

"Mineta-san! Kaminari-san! You tricked us, didn't you?!" Yaoyorozu yells furiously, waving her pom-poms around with popping veins.

Hotaru shifts her weight, her head tilting leisurely at different angles as she thinks to herself. She thinks she understands what's happening. No, _she knows what's happening._ She just doesn't want to believe it. There's no cheer battle at all. She's standing here and showing so much skin for no reason at all. There are countless eyes on her. _Perverted eyes_. She's just an entertainment prop. Her day has returned to being awful.

Her vision zooms in on Kaminari and Mineta across the stadium. Their eyes are bloodshot and their cheeks are flushed. They are exchanging the most evil and happy thumbs up. A wallpaper of hearts is behind them as they indulge in the sight and their innermost fantasies.

Yaoyorozu sinks to the ground in misery and Uraraka instantly crouches down to comfort her. Jiro throws her pom-poms onto the ground while Hagakure still remains a bundle of joy. On the other hand, Hotaru starts making her way towards her two so called "friends." She needs to handle this smoothly and ethically. Shocking them right here and now will only be doing more harm to herself than them.

They turn to her instantly, their eyes giving her voluptuous figure a brief once-over. She smiles sweetly at them, her pigtails swishing as she jogs over to close the distance. Once she comes to a stop before them, she brings her hands to her hips.

"You look amazing, Taru-chan! Your hair is super cute, too." Kaminari compliments.

"Ten out of ten." Mineta gives her a double thumbs up.

"Really?" She laughs lightly. "Thank you."

Her cheeks become rose dusted as she takes steps even closer to them. Blood starts to seep from Mineta's nostrils and Kaminari gets nervous at her close proximity. The kindness she's displaying… _something doesn't feel right_. He catches a glimpse of her treacherous silver orbs and becomes frozen in fear.

She's close to him, and if he moves even the tiniest bit his body will be pressing against hers. He swallows forcefully when she drapes her arm over his shoulder. She brings her pom-pom by her face, shielding her lips that are right by his ear so no one can read her words. She whispers to him in an angelic tone.

"I'll let you enjoy this for now. But, know this. If there weren't so many witnesses, you would be in an unbelievable amount of pain right now. I'm very angry. I've been in a bad mood all day. When this is all said and done, you can expect a present from me. Look forward to it. Pass the message along for me, will you?"

After that, she leans away from him with a blinding smile. She pats his shoulder and waves at Mineta, turning and walking back towards her cheerleading friends. Mineta stares after her with a slack jaw before looking at a pale Kaminari.

"What did she say?" He quickly asks. Kaminari tells him, _and he wails_.

As Hotaru walks away from them, she wraps her arms tightly around her midsection and uses her pom-poms as if they are shields. Her cheeks are angrily flushed and her eyes glare at the ground. This isn't even funny. What kind of joke is this supposed to be? It's humiliating and _nobody_ is laughing. She wants to shock them so badly.

Everyone starts to gather around when Midnight begins making preparations to announce the next and final game of this festival. Her and her deceived friends stick close to one another, feeling much more secure that way. If Hotaru were standing alone, she wouldn't know what she would do. However, even though they are standing in a group, they are still drawing so much attention.

"This is embarrassing…" Yaoyorozu sighs to herself, making a wry face. "Why do I always get caught up in Mineta-san's schemes?"

"At least they look like they regret it." Ashido says as she looks at the two uptight guys. "What did you say to them, Taru-chan?"

"Something that will make them think twice if they try to do something like this again." She answers, making the girls snicker. With an agitated frown at this whole situation they've been caught up in, she tucks some strands of hair behind her ear.

"When the recreational activities are over, the sixteen from the four teams that made it to the final round will duke it out tournament style, one-on-one!" Present Mic exclaims.

That revelation makes her let out a surprised gasp. Quickly, she peers up at the big screen that's displaying an empty tournament bracket. The final round is a literal one-on-one battle? She's not sure how to feel about that.

Battling is something she's familiar with. It's something she's done frequently as a villain. So, she's definitely not nervous about engaging in one. What she's most uncertain about is who exactly she'll have to fight. She just hopes that it's not him. Please, _don't let it be him_.

"Now, let's draw lots to determine the bracket." Midnight speaks with a smile, obviously eager about the upcoming battles. "Once the bracket is determined, we'll have the recreational games and then start! The sixteen finalists can choose whether or not they want to participate in the recreation. I'm sure some of you want to rest or save your strength. Now, from the first-place team—"

"Um…! Excuse me." Ojiro interrupts, raising his hand. He looks distressed. "I'm withdrawing."

"What?" Hotaru breathes out in shock, gazing at him worriedly.

Surprisingly, he's not the only one who wishes to withdraw. Someone named Shoda from Class B announces the same thing, and for the very same reason. _They can't remember the cavalry battle._ They feel like they didn't compete at all. They feel like they didn't do anything at all. They don't think they are worthy to move on… _all because of someone's quirk_.

Hotaru carefully looks over at Shinso who has their back to them, as if he's trying not to draw attention to himself. Her lips downturn while her brows furrow. The grip she has on her pom-poms grow so rigid that her knuckles turn white. He brainwashed them? Sadness and irritation is what she feels at that.

Midnight accepts Ojiro's and Shoda's withdrawal, their youthful talk flattering her to the max. Due to their withdrawal, two more people have to move up and claim their spots. Those two people are Class B's Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki. Tetsutetsu she recognizes as the bold guy who was yelling when everyone came to visit her class, and Shiozaki is the vine girl that eliminated Kaminari. And now,

 _The drawing of lots is complete_.

She searches for her name on the bracket, her pulse raising in her ears. The organ in her chest is thudding so wildly she can feel it. It's almost as if it's trying to burst through her ribcage. She takes in a deep breath to calm herself right when she locates her name.

Her first opponent is Shiozaki. If she wins, she'll end up fighting against either Iida or Hatsume. If she wins again, she'll either have to fight Midoriya, Shinso, Sero, _or..._

An unpleasant chill shoots down her spine, followed by goosebumps sprouting across her skin. Like a fuzzy camera lens, Shoto's name blurs in and out. Out of all the people she could have the chance of fighting, why is he one of them? He's the one person she didn't want to fight. She doesn't even think she can bring herself to fight him. Her palms become sweaty.

If they do face each other, it will be in the semi-finals. That's a whole three matches in. Them actually going against one another isn't certain. _It might not happen_. Maybe someone will eliminate him. Maybe someone will eliminate her. Either way, _she definitely doesn't want to fight him._ But, looking at who he's going up against, and who she's going up against, she can't help but tremble. Something in her gut is telling her that she can't avoid him.

Shoto's strong. She thinks he's the strongest here. Him getting eliminated isn't likely at all. She's not underestimating his opponents and calling them weak; she simply views Shoto as more powerful. The only person she can see possibly beating him is Midoriya. Although he gets severe injuries when he uses his quirk, the power of it is no joke. Despite that, even though he may have a chance of winning, that chance is slim. Very slim from her judgement at least.

On the other hand, regarding herself, she doesn't plan on going down easily. She doesn't know much about Shiozaki. Her fighting style is a mystery, and all she knows is that she can manipulate the vines on her head. Whether she'll be problematic or not is something she can't say for certain just yet.

Hatsume doesn't seem like she'll pose a problem. She relies primarily on her support items from what she's seen, and she can easily devastate those. The only person she can say will be a problem is Iida.

He's fast and he can maintain high speeds much longer than she can, and that worries her. She'll have to think of a way to counter that. She _will_ find a way to counter that. She doesn't want to get eliminated. Yet, _she doesn't want to fight Shoto even more_.

Fighting him scares her, and not because she's scared of losing against him. His glaring eyes frighten her, and his piercing words shake her. After everything that happened thus far today just looking at him discourages her. If she fights him and wins, will he hate her again? If she fights him and loses, will he slander her even more? She doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know if she can avoid this.

As if on cue, she catches sight of him. He's making his way towards her with a severe gaze. She swallows forcefully and stares at the ground like that will stop his advance somehow. It doesn't work.

He comes to a stop next to her and sweat glides down her temple. His shadow is within her sight. Her features tremble and she freezes from head to toe when she hears his unrelenting voice.

"Aihara."

The wind blows and ruffles up her hair. She watches as her skirt flutters in the breeze elegantly like a dance. The grip she has on her pom-poms grows even tighter and they make a rustling sound. One of her pigtail's brushes against her face. Suddenly, she grows unbelievably pale when realization dawns on her.

"I—" Shoto starts to say, and she swiftly cuts him off.

"D-Don't look at me!"

Her pom-poms are suddenly shoved into his face. In his now blinded state, he can only make out a bright yellow. His lips press together firmly, but he turns around and respects her wish to her surprise.

"I just wanted to tell you to try your best." He reveals, and her breath hitches. "Don't lose."

Is he encouraging her? He's been trying to shove her down into the dirt all day. Why is he suddenly saying such things? Like ripples atop a pond, the organ in her chest quakes. She stares at the back of his head with glossy eyes. Has he calmed down?

"R-Right. You too—"

"Make it to the semi-finals. Because out of everyone here, you're the one I want to fight most."

 _What?_

He _wants_ to fight her? He hasn't calmed down at all. Once again, she just fooled herself.

"Why?" She whispers, and he answers instantly.

"It should be obvious."

"Well, it's not. So, spell it out for me!" She bites out, glaring at him with blurry vision.

He doesn't answer her, nor does he walk away. Then, it hits her. _That day._ All of a sudden, she's flooded with memories from _that_ day. The day she became a villain. The day their friendship fell apart. The day they made their hatred for each other clear. She ducks her head.

"...Do you still hate me?" She inquires weakly, and he answers after a pause.

"I don't like you."

"That's… disappointing." She takes a backwards step from him, her eyes shining vacantly. "When you stopped me from going after Aizawa-sensei during the villain attack, when you called out my name, when you saved my life afterwards, when you froze those bullies for me, when you texted me to get well soon, when you helped me to the nurse's office… Tell me… why did you do all of that?"

Silence.

"Did you feel nothing?"

No answer.

"Did you only do those things because it would make you look bad if you didn't?"

A ringing in her ears.

"I see. I understand you hate your dad and his presence here is making you all riled up. But, you can't even blame him anymore. Prove him wrong? Please."

"What?" He bites out.

"You're letting yourself be his puppet. How could you prove him wrong when you act just like him?"

The moment he turns around, her pom-poms fly into his face. She threw them at him and now she's walking away. He remains stunned for a few seconds before his teeth grit.

"Aihara, you—!" He growls out, and she comes to a stop instantly while managing to silence him with a single look.

She turns around with dark tempestuous eyes. It's like he's staring into the eye of a perilous hurricane. They are flashing dangerously, shrunken and dark. The whole stadium can feel her menacing aura.

"'Aihara-san.'" She corrects in a chilling tone that makes him grow tense. "If you're going to address me, do it with respect. If you can't respect me, don't even fucking address me. No longer am I…" Her teeth bare as she turns away from him. "...going to allow myself to be mistreated by you."

•○●○•

The recreational games begin the moment Hotaru enters her waiting room. She slams the door behind her which results in a loud bang, then pulling the ribbons from her hair which makes her tresses tumble over her face. Violently, she hurls the ribbons to the ground before letting out a harrowing scream that rattles her insides.

She breathes heavily with sweat dripping from her chin. She falls backwards against the door with fists so tight crescent shapes form in her palms. _What the hell?_ She really was delusional this whole time. He confirmed all her doubts.

She's so angry she's shaking and breathing like a bull. She risked her life. She was a villain. She walked away from her family. She defended him. After everything she's done for him, _he acts like this?_

Of course, she doesn't expect him to grovel at her feet. After all, he didn't ask her to do all these things. She did them of her own accord. However, for him to be acting like this sets her on fire. He should at least show _some_ respect. How selfish can he get?

He hates her for being a villain, but he sure is doing a fantastic job at bringing that dark side of her to the surface. It's like taunting a starving lion with a piece of meat, and as a result she snapped. She didn't want to, but she did.

He wants to fight her. _Fine_. She'll respond in kind. She can't wait to fight him. She can't wait to return all this pain tenfold. She said she would beat him, _so she will_.

A vibrating sound catches her attention, and she looks ahead at her phone that's nearly about to fall off the table. When she left, it was in the center of the table. Has it been vibrating this whole time?

With heavy steps, she walks over and picks it up. It's an unknown number. An unknown number that has called her over a hundred times and left her a voicemail for each time. A number that's been sending her countless text messages. Who the hell is this? Her teeth grit and she answers it angrily.

"What?" She snarls.

"Taru~! You finally answered! Rai, babe, she answered!"

Her heart thuds loudly once before stopping entirely. The blood in her veins turns icy cold. Despite being cold, she's suddenly drenched in sweat. It's such a drastic change it nearly makes her vomit. Her appendages tremble and breathing is nothing but a mystery to her now.

"...M-Mom?"

•○●○•

There was once a koi lying in the prickly grass. It was still and its colorful scales were parched. It must have been out of the water for hours. Yet, even though it's been out of its element for so long, it was still clinging to breath, desperately fighting until the very last second. Using the very last bit of its strength, it managed to flop back into the water and live for many more years. How does she know that? Well, she witnessed it.

They say koi symbolize aspiration. They say they are legendary. A group of koi once tried swimming up a waterfall. All but one gave up despite it being against all odds. It dodged boulders and leaped constantly to fight against the potent current. It did this for nearly a hundred years before it finally reached the top. All of the struggles and trials it endured, along with the never-ending determination and tenacity resulted in the greatest reward. That koi was transformed into a golden dragon.

 _She was always fond of that folktale._

Hotaru steps out of her waiting room dressed in her gym uniform, closing the door softly behind her. She remains unmoving for a few seconds with her hand still fastened around the doorknob. Her fingers gradually slip away from the sleek metal.

The first match has long passed with Midoriya emerging as the victor. The second match ended recently with Shoto declared the winner. He froze the entire field with a giant wall of ice that ascended higher than the stadium itself. She watched it all on the small and muted TV that resides in the corner of her waiting room. The third match was delayed to clean up his mess, and now it's about to begin— _her match._

•

" _You're doing well, Taru." Her father compliments through the phone. "All of your training paid off. I'm proud of you. This is your chance."_

•

She begins walking slowly down the empty hall, each step she takes resounding. Her eyes, void and obscure stare at the ground. Every single muscle of hers feels cramped and her stomach feels like it's full of lead. The air around her is stagnant and cold. His voice haunts her. Proud? What a blatant lie.

•

" _You only need to do one thing. They are both there. Endeavor and his son—end them. Or, just bang them up a little. Do this and I'll overlook all of your disobedient actions. After all, that's what you were made to do."_

•

In her next life, she wants to be reborn as a koi fish. Spending her days underwater sounds pleasant. Listening to the air bubbles and the sound of raindrops, the sound of splashes and currents—those will be the only sounds she can hear. The world above is muffled. People… _she wouldn't have to deal with them_.

She wouldn't even be able to understand them. They wouldn't be able to understand her. They wouldn't even worry about her. Could she be reborn as the fish that turned into a dragon? A being with so much willpower that can overlook every curse thrown her way? That sounds like an ideal life. Living without worrying. Living without fearing.

•

" _No? You still revolt against me? Let me tell you what's going to happen as soon as you walk out on that stage."_

•

The moment she turns down a different path, she is consumed by shadows. A long and dark hallway is what she now stands in, and at the very end is the luminous exit that leads out to the stage. She comes to a brief standstill and focuses on the light. It's far away.

Present Mic's booming voice reaches her ears along with the audience's cheers. He's already introducing her opponent to the crowd. That makes her start walking again. She's behind. She should've been here earlier. Yet, she's completely lax. Whether she's here or not, it doesn't even matter.

The light is near, and the sun's rays hit her. It batters her as if she's something nocturnal, attempting to force her back into the shadows. She squints and raises her hand to shield her eyes. This beautiful light is so distasteful all of a sudden, and she finds out why that is instantly.

She hears them before she steps out into the open. She hears them before her name is even called. All of those ornery voices, all of those loud boos, they make her stay rooted in the shadows instead of heading out to the battlefield.

•

" _Those heroes will demean you. They hated you before, and they hate you more now. They don't want anything to do with you—a villain. You're worth nothing to them. You belong to me, Taru. Wake up from this pointless fantasy."_

•

Act as a hero and she gets reprimanded. Act as a villain and she gets denounced. Simply show her face and she gets admonished. Try her best and it's a crime. Her parents made sure of that. Her parents… _they won_.

Their voices won't go away. Their voices blend in with the booing she's receiving. She doesn't want to hear it. It stings like a thousand bees. The world of light she was brought into is trying to shut her out, and that dark world she escaped from is trying to drag her back. If only she could get away.

Slowly, she brings her hands over her ears and shuts her eyes, blindly walking out into the open. Her hands are pressed against her ears so forcefully she can hear a ringing noise, but that ringing can't block out everything. She still hears them. The sun shines through her closed eyelids, resulting in her seeing blood red. She can't get away.

•

" _You don't care? Taru, this isn't you. You're a villain standing in the hero world. Do you know what that makes you? A sham. Nothing more, nothing less. You can't be a hero and now you're about to realize that in the most brutal way."_

•

What would happen if she turns around and goes back inside? What would happen if she didn't show up at all? Where would she be right now… _if she stayed missing after the villain attack?_ She can't help but wonder. Her eyelids clamp together more tightly. Being here doesn't feel right.

"T-The entire stadium is booing?!" Present Mic stutters out, looking at the audience in panic. "That's not nice, you know!"

"Leave my sexy woman alone!" Mineta wails, waving his fists everywhere from the Class A seating section.

"Seriously? This is the last thing she needs right now!" Kaminari's teeth grit as he recalls her current goal she told him about.

"Aihara-san…!" Midoriya gazes at her worriedly along with the rest of his class.

"What's this?! Someone from Class A is getting booed?! Haha! What's up with that?!" Monoma laughs hysterically from afar.

A shadow covers Hotaru when a stray cloud blocks the sun. Her eyes slowly crack open to stare at it. The warm air suddenly turns cold. It's sheltering her from the light. Her hands fall away from her ears and she comes to a stop, only having made it halfway to the stage. The voices are tearing her apart from the inside out.

Her silver eyes look over at the audience, their bright color contrasting greatly against the shadow that's over her. Is being here wrong? Everything she does is wrong. What do they expect her to do then, _if nothing she does is right?_

The wind blows and dishevels her hair, also making the blades of grass sway violently. Her heart pounds loudly and abnormally fast. Soon, it's all she can hear. Her knuckles are a bright white and her irises shrink. Something in her is swelling and spreading like poison.

That stray cloud is moving and releasing her from the dark prison. The moment sunlight kisses at her flesh once again, her teeth bare and she opens her mouth. Instead of her voice spewing outwards, someone else's does. Someone that instantly calms her. Someone she couldn't be here without. Her eyes instantly find his dark ones.

"How can you call yourselves Pros when you act so insolently? Showing so much contempt before the match has even begun? She's not here for what you think. She may have been a villain before, but her presence here should speak for itself. True Pros should be able to act considerately. If you can't do that, reconsider your occupation." Aizawa asserts.

The booing of the crowd quiets down aside from a few. The anger that was building up inside of her is washed away with a large wave of sadness. _Aizawa-sensei._ She stares at him while fighting against the tremble of her lower lip. He stares right back at her, reassuring her. When she starts to look away, she's suddenly staring into unreadable mismatched eyes.

He's not in the Class A seating section and somewhere entirely different. Instead of sitting down, he's leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He's gazing right at her. She turns away from him quickly, continuing towards the stage.

•

" _You think you can be a hero? Ha. Fine. Go ahead and try. While you're at it, for every bruise you inflict upon your opponents, and for every drop of blood you spill, think about me. Think about how you've done that countless times. You claim you won't hurt anyone, but, you're going to have to. I'll be watching you closely as you use my teachings."_

•

"A-Alright, let's try this again." Present Mic sweat-drops when he gets the microphone back from Aizawa. "The assassin from Class B! Pretty things have thorns, you know! From the hero course, it's Ibara Shiozaki! Versus!"

Hotaru finally walks up the stairs and onto the stage, staring across at her opponent who's been standing there waiting for a few minutes now. _Shiozaki._ Their eyes lock together and the audience roars, evidently for Shiozaki.

"The angel that crossed over from the dark side! But, don't mess with this angel or else lightning will strike!" Present Mic introduces her to the crowd. Aizawa brings his bandaged hand over his face at that introduction. "From the hero course, Hotaru Aihara! Yeah! Now, we'll have a super flashy battle this time too—!"

"Um…" Shiozaki interrupts him with her naturally kind voice, her hand raised. "Please excuse the interruption. What do you mean by 'assassin?' I have only come to find victory, not to take my opponent's life."

"I-I'm sorry!" Present Mic stutters, obviously caught off-guard.

"In the first place, I wished to enter U.A. High School not for wicked reasons…" She brings her hands together as if she's praying, rays of sunlight caressing her. "...but for the salvation of others."

"I said I'm sorry! My bad, okay?!" Present Mic pleads desperately.

"I thank you for your understanding." She smiles, bowing in utmost respect before facing Hotaru once more.

Hotaru watches as she moves back towards her starting position. Her lips are downturned slightly as sweat glides down her temple. She swallows forcefully. It's almost like there is an angel and devil on stage.

"They are polar opposites, huh?" Tokoyami murmurs to himself.

"It doesn't get any more contrasting than that." Kirishima blinks, staring between the two of them. "What do you think of this match-up, Midoriya?"

"It's hard to say. I don't know the details of Shiozaki's quirk, but I think it will come down to speed." He answers.

"If it's speed, then Aihara-san has the upper hand." Iida grins with a thumbs up.

"Yeah." Sato nods.

"She's got this in the bag!" Kaminari clenches his fists in excitement, focusing on the match that's about to begin.

Hotaru's shoulders rise as she draws in a deep breath, only lowering when she exhales. She's just going to focus on winning this match, nothing else. Her father's voice that's swarming inside her head, she's ignoring it. The glaring eyes in the audiences, she's overlooking it. All of her doubts, she's casting them aside, _to prove her old man wrong._

"Shit…" She murmurs under her breath, her bangs covering her eyes. She was slandering Shoto for having the thoughts she's currently having. Her lips twitch upwards. She should've just kept her mouth shut, as always.

"A-Anyways, start!" Present Mic calls out.

Immediately, Hotaru extends her hand and sparks emit from her fingertips. A vigorous blue strike shoots towards Shiozaki. With a profound calmness, she brings her hands together in prayer and turns around.

The vines on Shiozaki's head grow swiftly and detach, creating a large shield that blocks her lightning strike. Hotaru's eyes widen and she gasps. Cracks are forming in the concrete ground and closing in on her rapidly. _What?_ She takes a backwards step when multiple vines burst from the ground. Her teeth grit and she discharges lightning to counter, but it's a futile attempt.

Like a snake, the vines coil around her. The thorns instantly dig into her flesh and she lets out a painful cry. Her body is raised off of the ground before she can even blink, and the vines fasten around her body from her shoulders down. _She can't move_.

"What?!" Present Mic yells, standing up in a flash and burying his hands in his hair. Hotaru grows deathly pale. "It was decided in an instant?!"

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Premonition

❤•○●○•❤

She didn't want it to end quite like this. Her whole body is on fire and her clothing is tattered. There wasn't much she could do at all. It was a terrible match up and she was at a disadvantage the whole time. She didn't think Shiozaki would be so problematic. She completely underestimated her. Perhaps she was the one she should've been most worried about. Her silver eyes stare at the ground as she walks off the stage.

 _Oh well._

The audience views her as a villain, anyway.


	26. Premonition

**minirie:** yeah Shoto needs to get it together, (＃`Д´) , aha. i absolutely loved writing the scene with the girls. i'm so happy you enjoyed it ! and yes yes , i agree. ❤ she deserves it. thank you so much !

 **Emocean:** we're about to find out about that, huh? (* ^ ω ^) and yes the amount of stress and hardships she's enduring right now is no joke. she's just trying her best but all this negativity is making her teeter. :c , Shoto definitely isn't making any sense, and perhaps we'll get some answers this chapter, ha! I'm kinda happy though because I was aiming for confusion w him... and that was hard ... bc writing him became confusing, LMAO. I'm taking note of those crossed fingers, ehe. in conclusion, it seems Hotaru just needs to beat everyone's ass ! everyone will realize their mistakes regarding her soon enough ~ and her vs Iida... all i'm gonna say is "aaahh!" ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ , and how you like Mineta, ah! wow, lmao thank you so much! i'm so happy. he's a pervy boy but he has a good heart. thank you a ton ! cheers ! happy to write for you ! ❤

 **bbymojo:** thank you so much ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡ ❤'s x 100 . you're so sweet too and i really enjoy your reviews. honestly ! love hearing your thoughts along with everyone else's. ❤ you're the best! writing those fluffy moments was very enjoyable and definitely my chapter highlights. (i'm gonna do chapter highlights with you, ehe) it was a nice brief break from all the tension! another highlight for me was her putting her foot down with Shoto. i was nonchalantly sipping my tea writing that, lmao. you're right with the unresolved stuff! and oh, the apology will so be worth it i swear i've been planning this for so long. it's gonna be interesting, haha! I love Daddy Zawa. and that preview was so misleading, don't worry ~ ! and oh my gosh, you touched my heart so deeply. (´ ∀ ` *) thank you so much, i'm honored and so happy ! sending you a virtual hug ! ❤

 **LadyAmazon:** i can't wait for their girl get-together ! and Aizawa to the rescue as always ! ❤ awe, Hotaru appreciates you and so do i ! She would love to have her own aquarium and koi fish ! i've always love watching koi fish swim, especially the butterfly kois! you keep well, too! ❤ i hope the weather stays nice, too! the weather has been confusing the plants i feel so bad for them. i had to cover my tulips bc of a sudden freeze. i wish you luck with your garden! (⁀ᗢ⁀) gardening is so relaxing. hoping for good weather and beautiful blooms, but most importantly the fun that comes with gardening ~ !

 **Oblivious IJ:** ahaha ! xD love it ! it had to be done.╰(▔∀▔)╯

 **Cally:** hello ! thank you so much for reading ! (⁀ᗢ⁀) especially binge reading, ahh ! ❤ i'm so happy you love it ! i can't wait to for you to read more, especially the parts you're most eager about! i'm eager, too! i hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Yuudie:** thank you so much! ❤ i should have plenty of more time to write ~ ! i'm really happy about that o(≧▽≦)o , i can literally spend all day writing and not get tired of it, haha. Hotaru really is a dork, especially with fish, haha!

 **lovelyhatter:** aahh, thank you so much! that means more than i can say! i really do try, haha. much love to you, as well ! ❤ i love your fangirling, aha! i fangirl over your reviews, too! i personally enjoy writing heavy scenes, so i'm happy you enjoy reading them! can't wait for you to read this chapter! please, enjoy ! (´ ∀ ` *)

 **Swiggs:** haha! thank you so much! hope you enjoy this chapter !

•○●○•

 **whew, my spring break has been extended and my classes have all moved online.**

 **happy about the extended break, but i'm not sure about these online classes, haha. i'll be happy if they are easier.**

 **but either way, i hope everyone is well!**

 **thank you so much to everyone who reads, and thank you so much for your reviews.** **i really love reading through them. i get so happy every time! i also get happy about the favorites and follows, i see you guys, too!**

 **please, enjoy! and i apologize for any errors as always.**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Premonition

❤•○●○•❤

It looks hopeless and feels hopeless. She can feel the warm blood soaking into her attire, and even the slightest of movements allows for the thorns to dig more deeply into her. Her teeth grit and she glares down at Shiozaki. It was decided in an instant? _No_. Every person that thinks she's been defeated is severely wrong. She's not done yet.

 _She's far from it._

Her silvery eyes suddenly morph into a glowing cyan. Blue sparks emit from her body. The only reason her lightning didn't work earlier is because she didn't use a high enough voltage. _She miscalculated_. Now, she has to make up for her blunder.

Steam starts to spew. The vines holding her captive start to turn from a healthy green to a decaying brown. A charcoal black comes afterwards, _and then scorching flames follow instantly_. Hotaru bursts through the thorny vines and ashes fall like snow. Before her feet touch the ground, _more vines ensnare her._ This cycle happens over and over again.

She's so frustrated. _So very frustrated._ She wants to cry, but as if she would do that here. Being pricked countless times, not being about to do anything at all, all of the satisfied faces in the audience… _It makes her so sick with anger_. Damn everyone. _Damn Shiozaki for humiliating her like this._

This isn't how things are supposed to go. She's not supposed to look pathetic like this in front of all of these watching eyes. Her parents, are they laughing right now? She can swear she hears them. Her jaw locks.

These vines are tough and thick. They are living and flowing with water. They are flourishing. Getting rid of them is nothing like getting rid of Shoto's ice, and even that's not so simple. She can ignite and scatter them with her lightning, but as a result more pop out of the ground. It's an overwhelming number. There's no end to them. She can't find an opening. Everything she does is futile.

If she keeps going on like this she'll do herself in. Not only will her lightning cause her to overheat, _but the flames below her will contribute to…_ Her silver eyes grow large, the flickering red reflecting in them.

 _Fire._

"Shiozaki isn't letting Aihara go!" Present Mic screams almost in panic when Hotaru begins struggling once more, and the audience cheers. "Are the vines too much?!"

"No." Hotaru answers in monotone, and Midnight raises a brow at her.

If the R-Rated hero is being honest with herself, she's at a loss of what to do. A full five minutes have gone by and Hotaru hasn't been able to completely free herself. The vines coiling around her have been growing in number. She's clearly immobilized. If she didn't keep freeing herself for brief moments, she would've had to call the match, and she's still debating if she should do that or not. Her lips downturn. If this goes on for any longer, Hotaru's injuries will grow more severe.

Hotaru is now being held upside down by the vines and covered in unpleasant scratches. Her cyan eyes stare directly at Shiozaki. A trail of blood runs down her face and into her hairline. Flames surround her from the burning vines on the ground. Her bright eyes gradually move to stare into the fiercely flickering fire.

"It doesn't matter how much you struggle." Shiozaki begins with a holy light enhancing her humble form. She extends her arms. "You cannot escape my Crucifixion. My vines will punish and judge you, you sinful being. You will only find relief in the flames of hell. So, please, surrender yourself to this righteous will. Concede to your sins. For all of those you hurt, I will bring salvation to them through your defeat."

Her words, courteous and divine, make the already loud cheers of the audience grow. Hotaru's lips part and blood coats her left eye, making the white of it red. Her vision now holds a blurred crimson tint.

The audience is enjoying this so much that it's disturbing. Do they want her to go along with this? She supposes she could in order to buy some more time. Surely they don't think she's actually enduring this for no reason.

"I've already been through hell." Hotaru answers. "I wanted to be like my parents. I've killed people. I've hurt people. I've been deceived. I was a villain, a sinful being like you claim. There was a time in my life I considered the most beautiful, but my own actions ripped that away. That was my hell."

"I-I see." Shiozaki stutters a bit, not expecting her to actually confess those things so easily and out loud. The audience even quiets slightly. "Then, now you must surrender yourself—"

"Surrender myself?" Hotaru cuts her off sluggishly. "I get it, but I'm not going to do that in the way you want me to. In fact, shouldn't you be the one to surrender, you sinful being?"

"Why would I do that? You are in no position to tell me to surrender." She brings her hands over her chest. "At this rate, you will bleed out if you do not concede soon. I do not wish for things to go that far, but…" Her kind eyes are suddenly shining with anguished tears. "Me, a sinful being? How insolent of _you_ to call me that!"

The vines around her loosen before growing tighter than before. Hotaru's teeth grit and she gasps heavily, her face twisting in obvious pain. A pain-filled sound escapes her while her eyes squeeze shut. This hurts, _a lot._ She cracks a single eye open to stare down Shiozaki.

"W-Well, I haven't even touched you yet." Hotaru gets out between her strained breaths, these vines now suffocating her as well. "Y-You're the only one spilling blood here. You're the only one being oppressive. You're judging me when you don't know my story, w-when you don't even have the right. It seems you are confused about what a sinful being is. You're not the only one who's confused, though. W-Well, then..."

Hotaru closes the single eye she had open. Her lips purse and the fire crackling below her grows apparent. Sweat glides down her face. The air is searing and distorted. The concrete ground is sweltering. Their battlefield is now identical to an arid region, _just like she wanted_.

"Allow me to show you…" Hotaru's lips curl upwards languidly, her nefarious eyes slowly opening. "...What a sinful being is, Shiozaki-san."

Shiozaki shivers at the vile way her name was spoken, and lets out a gasp when lightning bursts from Hotaru's form with blinding force. The vines that held her captive are rendered into ashes and a villainous aura spreads. Shiozaki acts quickly through the sudden unease she's feeling.

More vines burst from the concrete ground as Hotaru descends. However, they are moving slower than before. Not only that, their green color isn't as bright either and they are thinner than before. The scolding air is hindering their true capability. _They are weaker._ With a smirk, Hotaru makes a finger gun and takes aim.

Her lightning disintegrates the thorny vines. The moment she touches the ground, she somersaults and positions herself into a crouch. Multiple beads of sweat glide down Shiozaki's face when Hotaru stands amidst the fire of the burning vines.

She's bleeding all over and there are tears in her clothing. The light of the flames surrounding her adorn her form and make her appear even more eerie. When her silver eyes lock with her dark ones, she pales.

What this villain did hits her like a truck. _She's unbelievably shrewd_. This whole time, did she never have the upper hand? She was letting herself be confined and tortured with so many bleeding cuts over and over again, just so she can stockpile the vines she "failed" to escape from. She did that to use them as burning material. They are scattered everywhere. Flames are everywhere.

By doing that, she dehydrated the ground and air. The air is so hot her vines are starting to wilt naturally without Hotaru even having to use her lightning. _She's now at a huge disadvantage._ The tables have turned.

"Aihara finally breaks free! But, was she ever even confined at all?!" Present Mic gawks. "She's turned the stage into her own flaming playground! Things are starting to heat up!"

"Time to end this." Hotaru whispers thickly, her body letting off a faint blue glow while sparks discharge. She begins taking steps forward. "Plants don't mix well with flames and smoke."

Shiozaki shakes her head instantly, forcing herself out of her panicked thoughts. _It's okay,_ she inwardly urges herself. She made sure to drink plenty of water before this fight. Her vines still have enough moisture within them. She just needs to act more quickly and effectively than before. Hotaru is still far away from her and at the opposite end of the field, _she needs to keep her there_. If she closes the gap, it'll all be over.

Bringing her hands together in prayer, Shiozaki closes her eyes and tilts her head skywards. Half of the vines on her head burrow into the ground which causes it to tremor, while the other half rushes towards the approaching Hotaru. She draws in a concentrated breath, praying desperately.

"Via Dolorosa…!" Shiozaki cries out.

The whole stage becomes shrouded with thorny vines. Some seem to fall from the heavens, while others seem to emerge from the depths of hell. The audience roars loudly, and Present Mic runs around in a mini circle from the commentary room.

"I-It's a flaming jungle?!" Present Mic exclaims.

"You're more persistent than I thought. I might actually have to get serious." Hotaru sighs in disappointment, and her expression darkens with an unsettling grin. Shiozaki gulps, especially when she laughs and twirls as if she's dancing to dodge the slash of one of her vines. "I really hate using so much energy. But, it can't be helped. Don't disappoint me."

"You weren't being serious before?!" Present Mic yells out.

Aizawa's eyes narrow slightly in thought as he watches Hotaru. _That's not it_. She has been serious this entire time. She's bluffing to get inside her opponent's head. What she really means is she's going to have to go beyond her limit. But, _something's off._ She's imitating Two-Face here of all places.

Hotaru's idle walk turns into a swift sprint. Static tickles her flesh and lightning channels within her. A heaping number of vines thick and thin thrash about, her being their only target. It's like a kraken on land. The stage is dense with flames and vines. Shiozaki doesn't plan on going down easily. She's giving it her all. So, _she'll give more than that_.

A vine whips across the ground and aims for her ankles. She leaps over it before ducking under another. Flaming thorns burst from the ground and she spins on the soles of her feet to evade. She cartwheels and twists through the air, dodging three at once while shooting lightning at the next.

"H-Holy crap she's amazing!" Kaminari stands from his seat, his hands tangled into his hair. Midoriya quickly writes down notes in his journal while keeping his eyes on the fight, muttering incoherently as Iida waves his arms everywhere with an agape mouth.

"Go, Taru-chan—!" Hagakure starts to cheer until Mineta screams.

"Taru-chan! Show everyone how sexy you are! Take it all off!"

"S-Scum!" Jiro leans away from him in disgust.

Hotaru continues to elude the desperate attacks of vines. The fire is definitely weakening them, but it's also putting herself at a disadvantage, too. Her body is burning from the heat and injuries. Not only that, there are so many vines blocking Shiozaki from her sight. She doesn't have a clear shot. The smoke and flames aren't helping the current low visibility she has, either. She needs to somehow— _her thought process is cut short_.

The ground beneath Hotaru's feet suddenly cracks, and her eyes widen a notch. It's almost as if the vines below the ground here were lying in wait.

 _A trap?_

Shiozaki's hands clasp together even tighter. Her lips curve upwards into an ethereal smile, ready to punish this villain. Victory is within her grasp once again, and this time it shall not slip away from it.

"You pitiful lamb." Shiozaki speaks softly, extending her arms. "You are the one who is confused. I will show you the light."

The concrete slab Hotaru is standing on top of raises off the ground, a large vine responsible. The loud voices surrounding her gradually fade away as time slows. _This is it_. Vines are coming at her from different angles, and the one below her is beginning to rattle, meant to knock her off balance. She comes to a standstill.

Shiozaki proceeds to launch vines in Hotaru's direction to finish her off. However, she falters slightly when she catches sight of Hotaru's subtle smile. _Wait._ Shiozaki takes a backwards step with nervous sweat. The crowd bellows and Present Mic gawks, screaming.

"Aihara is sent flying?!"

Shoto leans forward with widened eyes. Sure enough, Hotaru is sent high into the sky. _She jumped_. She timed her leap with the rebound of the vine that was attempting to throw her off balance. She used it as if it was a trampoline. Just how competent is she?

Hotaru's hair whips wildly, her eyes taking in the blue sky. It's much cooler up here. The rushing air feels nice. There are birds flying overhead and they seem so close. She reaches towards the feathery animals.

It wasn't hard for her to figure out what exactly Shiozaki's trap was. If she's being honest with herself, she only jumped to escape the vines she couldn't see from behind her. She didn't think she would end up nearly above the stadium. But, _this is the most ideal spot for her to be_. She can see everything.

She adjusts her body so she's facing the approaching ground. She extends her arms and spreads her fingers. Lightning coils around her fingertips and Shiozaki becomes iced over in fear. She'll use a high voltage just for her. She has earned it. Not only that, the recoil she'll receive from this attack will lessen the impact of her fall.

Shiozaki's jaw goes slightly slack as thunder booms and cracks through the air. Her dark eyes stare into Hotaru's vibrant ones. Lightning illuminates the sky. She can't believe she used her vines to her advantage again. She doesn't know what else to do. She's at her limit. Her head is pounding. The fire is eating away at her beloved vines. But, _she can't lose._ She prays one last time, using every last bit of her strength.

Hotaru unleashes her scattershot lightning attack. Multiple vivid strikes hit the ground all over the stage, falling like rain. All of the vines become blackened and scorched, turning into piles of ash. Hotaru takes aim at Shiozaki next.

Shiozaki panics and quickly confines herself in a shield of wilting vines. The world around her turns black as it's blocked away from her sight. Her clasped hands tremble and not even a second later, _her vines are disintegrated_. There's a thump instantly afterwards, and she pales at the sight of Hotaru directly in front of her.

Droplets of blood splatter onto the ground and residue sparks still ooze from her flesh. Her index finger is just centimeters away from Shiozaki's forehead. She's breathing heavily and her eyes are sinister. The audience grows silent.

"I win." Hotaru mutters with shrunken irises, and Shiozaki trembles.

"B-But, I'm still—"

"I'm giving you the option to surrender. Do you not want that? Should I claim my victory in a more unpleasant way? I could make you bleed just as much as you made me. I could shock you unconscious. I could blast you out of bounds. The options are endless." Hotaru cuts her off with a wicked smile, laughing. "I'll let you choose."

Shiozaki's eyes squeeze shut. This villain, Hotaru Aihara, _she's too strong_. She's too cunning. She knew that winning against her wasn't probable. There's nothing else she can do against her. Her drooping vines are long past their limit. She's dehydrated. _How shameful_. Why was she the one she had to fight?

"I-I surrender…" Shiozaki whispers with tears streaming down her face.

"Shiozaki surrenders!" Midnight calls out, and not many cheer. "Aihara advances to the next round!"

Silence hovers in the air and Hotaru's hand falls back to her side. She takes a backwards step, lowering her eyelids. Thick red coats her eyelashes and her entire body trembles in fatigue. Slowly, she opens her eyes to stare at the heartbroken Shiozaki.

"I told you not to disappoint me." Hotaru begins, making her look at her in fright. "And, you didn't."

Hotaru smiles warmly and her silver eyes soften. Shiozaki's breath gets caught in her throat when she bows lowly, her hair falling over her dirtied face. The sun shines onto her when she straightens up, and suddenly she looks nothing like a villain.

"It was a great fight. Thank you." She smiles, and all Shiozaki can do is stare.

Midnight walks over to the two of them with a smile, her hands on her hips. She comes to a stop before them and they look over.

"That was a great performance." She compliments, then eyeing Hotaru in concern. "Should I get a stretcher for you?"

The girl is covered in so many scratches and bleeding from each and every one. Her complexion is somewhat pale, and she's drenched in sweat. Her clothing is in quite a dreadful state as well, but fortunately not _too_ dreadful.

"No, I'm fine." Hotaru shakes her head at that. "It looks worse than it actually is. I can get to the infirmary on my own. Thank you."

With those final words, Hotaru turns and begins taking retreating steps. She didn't want it to end quite like this. Her whole body is on fire and her clothing is tattered. There wasn't much she could do at all. It was a terrible match up and she was at a disadvantage the whole time.

She didn't think Shiozaki would be so problematic. She completely underestimated her. Perhaps she was the one she should've been most worried about. This isn't how she envisioned this fight at all. Her silver eyes stare at the ground as she walks off the stage.

 _Oh well._

The audience views her as a villain, anyway. So, surely using villain tactics won't affect her more negatively than these heroes already view her. Besides, there's something she wants to prove. She steps into the dark tunnel and out of sight. It's only then when her exhaustion hits her full force.

"Young Aihara!" A familiar voice calls out to her when she's suddenly falling forward. Strong arms catch her before she hits the ground.

"A-All Might?" She whispers, staring up at him through half-lidded eyes. He grins widely, picking her up with ease.

"You're too stubborn." He says as he starts walking her to the infirmary. "Refusing a stretcher when you're in this condition… jeez!"

Her lips curve upwards slightly as she rests her head against his chest. He must've been waiting for her. Or, he rushed here to help her. This is a true hero. Him, Aizawa, Nezu, Daichi, _even Shoto_. They are her heroes.

"I didn't want them to see me as weak." She admits.

"Young Aihara, you are far from weak."

She laughs a bit, shaking her head. She's not sure if she can agree with that. If it's coming from him though, it must be true. She only wishes she could see it. There are so many things that she wishes for.

"Did you see me out there, All Might?" She questions drowsily. "You were watching, weren't you?"

"Of course!" He nods joyously.

"Did you see my mom, too?" She questions further, and his smile falters slightly. "Be honest. My mom, did you see her in me?"

"Yes…" He answers hesitantly, truthfully. That's when he notices something is off with her. "Young Aihara, why did you go to such extremes? Surely that was…"

He trails off when she brings her hands over her face, giggling.

•○●○•

" _I hope you enjoy seeing yourself on the hero stage."_

•○●○•

"That wretched snake!"

Cierra screams at the top of her lungs, throwing her wine glass at the nearby wall. Shards of glass scatter across the ground and she starts pacing around the dark room. Rai massages his temples from his spot on the couch.

"She just loves to piss me off!" Cierra growls. "How dare she emulate me? How dare she use _my_ techniques to be a hero? Look at her!" She jabs a finger at the television that's displaying Hotaru's face. "She looks just like me! I can't stand it! You should've just let me kill her! Now look at what she's doing. This is humiliating!"

She looks over at Rai, seeing his eyes are still glued to the screen. He doesn't respond to her words and his fixated expression doesn't falter. She huffs and walks back over to the couch. Her heels click loudly with each step, and she plops down next to him.

"Well? Don't you agree?" She inquires.

Rai doesn't answer and she lets out a sigh. She stretches her arms high above her head before falling over into his lap, staring up into his silver eyes that are finally taking her in. Her hand moves and caresses his scarred face.

"Do you still love her?" She asks with narrowed eyes, looking at the television. "She's not your prodigy. She betrayed you. She tried to kill you just so she can be with Endeavor's brat. If Twice didn't make that double of you, you would've really died. Wake up. You're being delusional."

"She'll come back." He murmurs. "She'll find out sooner or later that there's no future for her as a hero."

"Delusional~!" She sings in response.

Kicking her legs, her heels fly off and across the room. The knock over a vase which results in it cracking. She moves so she's sitting in Rai's lap, her legs cradling him.

"You're just having a hard time accepting it." She whispers, pressing her forehead against his. "Remember how you were raving about killing her after her betrayal? That was the first time you said something logical in a long while."

He stares into her eyes and she smiles widely. It doesn't take long for him to lose interest and look away. Cierra glares angrily and moves off of him, sitting in her previous spot next to him. Her patience is running severely thin.

"I was just angry." He blames his previous death threats on his emotions, and Cierra rolls her eyes. "She'll realize her mistakes."

"And if she doesn't?"

"I'll make her life a living hell." He answers. "Nevertheless, if she keeps her word she'll be imitating me next. These heroes will want nothing to do with her. I have no doubt that she'll end up fighting Endeavor's son. And when that happens…" He grins viciously. "She won't be able to handle the pressure."

"Right~!" Cierra nods happily. "She's falling right into our trap and she doesn't even know it. She thinks she has us under control… but really we are controlling her! Ha~!"

"...You say that as if you weren't going on a panicked rampage minutes ago." He mutters, sweat-dropping.

•○●○•

It's cold, so cold that she can see her breath. However, if she's being honest, she has always preferred the cold over the heat. She finds it more tolerable even though it also brings about a sense of loneliness.

In the winter months, she could never feed the fish. In the winter months, she made the worst mistake of her life— _leaving Shoto behind to become a villain._ For those reasons, she hates the cold just as much as she loves it.

Her favorite season is spring. It was when she met Shoto. It's when the flowers bloom and when the fish are no longer dormant. Her eyelids suddenly drape over her silvery orbs. Why is she thinking of such things? How disappointing.

Currently, she's resting in a deep soaking tub filled to the brim with ice. Her hair is pinned up and out of the way. Every cut and bruise that tarnished her skin is long gone, and blood no longer stains her.

The curtains that confine her in a private makeshift room move aside, making her look over. Recovery Girl has entered, closing the curtains behind her. She starts carefully walking over with her cane. Her squinted eyes gaze at her in worry.

"Are you sure you didn't want to see your friends?" She inquires dolefully. "They were all very worried and wanted to see you."

"I'm sure." Hotaru answers, sinking further into the pit of ice and staring at the ceiling. "Don't worry. I'll be seeing them soon, anyway."

Recovery Girl's expression grows more worried despite Hotaru's words. Nearly all of Class A rushed over after her match to see her, but she told her to tell them she was sleeping. Something is off with this girl. Normally she's so happy to see her friends. She almost resembles the troubled girl she once was when she first enrolled.

"Dear, what's the matter?" Recovery Girl inquires softly, and Hotaru's head ducks. "Something is troubling you."

Silence hovers in the air, aside from the occasional cracks and pops of the ice Hotaru's immersed in. That's a question that has a very long answer. It's an answer she doesn't want to speak out loud. Even just thinking of it makes her throat feel raw and tight. Instead of answering, she smiles.

The ice cubes clink together when she shifts. She raises her hand and pulls the pin out of her hair. Instantly afterwards, she shakes her head as if she's a dog, resulting in her wavy tresses to tumble over her shoulders. She steps out of the tub, and her bare feet touch the ground along with the bottom hems of her sweatpants. She wrings the cold water out of her t-shirt as she looks over at the old woman.

"It's nothing serious." She begins with a small smile. "I was just wondering what my life would be like if I had made different choices. I wonder if I would be more likeable."

"You're already likeable." Recovery Girl shakes her head. "You shouldn't dwell in the past, dear. It isn't healthy."

"Right." Hotaru grabs a towel to dry herself off. "My mistake."

Hotaru begins to change into her brand-new gym uniform. As she changes, the more strained her smile becomes. Recovery Girl frowns, easily taking notice of the distress she's trying to hide. Whatever is bothering her is much more serious than she's making it out to be.

"Thank you for tending to my wounds and preparing an ice bath for me." Hotaru says, running her fingers through her hair. "I feel a lot better."

"Of course." The old woman nods. "It's what I do. Are you sure you don't want to rest longer? You still have time before your next match."

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary. I feel better than ever." Hotaru disagrees with a thumbs up, waving as she takes retreating steps. "Besides, I don't want to miss this next fight. I'll most likely be seeing you again later. So, see you in a few."

•○●○•

He hopes Midoriya wins this fight. He hopes it's an overwhelming win that leaves Todoroki crying in pain. It's only fair. He keeps stealing his woman, after all. He needs to be properly punished for his stupidity. Taru-chan doesn't need him, and Todoroki doesn't deserve her. _Taru-chan is his—_

"Mineta-kun," An angelic voice makes him look over. Hotaru is standing there, smiling at him while pointing at the available seat next to him. "Can I sit next to you?"

"Of course you can, Taru-chan." Mineta smiles with his tiny mouth, his cheeks darkening in pleasure when she claims her spot.

"Taru-chan!" Kaminari suddenly exclaims, sitting next to her which makes Mineta glare. "Are you okay now?"

"Those injuries looked painful." Sato states, and Koda nods in agreement.

"I'm better now." Hotaru answers with a happy nod. "Please, don't worry."

"That's good!" Iida turns around in his seat, facing her with a thumbs up. "You fought well."

"Truly a force to be reckoned with." Tokoyami adds on.

"You were twinkling." Aoyama winks.

"And you won without even having to touch your opponent." Sero sighs, awed.

"Yeah. That was sexy. You're sexy, Taru-chan." Mineta compliments, ogling at her. He coos with hearts developing around him. "...My anti-hero…!"

Hotaru's eyes widen and her lips part, almost as if she's surprised. Her eyelids lower briefly while her smile returns, gracing her beautiful features. She gratefully looks over everyone present.

"Thank you, everyone."

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" Kaminari tilts his head slightly.

Her silver eyes look his way, appearing dim despite their bright color. Gazing into them is like looking into a gloomy sky, _completely dreary_. Her lips curve upwards forcibly, and she waves her hand through the air at that.

"Mhm. I'm just still a little tired from my previous match. Please, don't worry." She attempts to reassure him, and his eyes narrow at that obvious lie. He plans on questioning her further, but that plan is instantly blown away when the audience cheers loudly.

"The first match of the second round!" Present Mic exclaims. "At this year's Sports Festival, both have shown top class performances! Midoriya versus Todoroki!"

Hotaru's gaze shifts to focus on the stage below. Their eyes are intense as they stare each other down, adding to the already weighty atmosphere. She looks between the two of them, swallowing thickly as her fingers curl into the fabric of her pants. Even though she's not the one on that stage, she feels nervous. She doesn't even know who she wants to win.

"Now, start!" Present Mic cheers.

The instant he yells that, Shoto quickly sends ice in Midoriya's direction. It's a large wave, but not as large as the one he used against Sero. Midoriya doesn't waste any time either. With the simple flick of his finger, he shatters Shoto's ice with a strong gust of wind. The air suddenly turns frigid and Mineta latches onto her arm as he shivers intensely. Her eyes narrow slightly, but not at Mineta.

Midoriya's quirk is very powerful. It's powerful to the point his own body can't handle it. Already, he has a broken finger. However, those wind gusts he can create are familiar. It's just like what All Might can do.

She looks over at Shoto, seeing he stopped himself from going out of bounds by creating a wall of ice. He attacks with his ice again, and Midoriya smashes it once again with the exact same attack, breaking another finger in the process. Shoto's teeth grit in obvious frustration. Her lips downturn.

"But man, you, Todoroki, and Aihara can both shoot off powerful attacks that cover a lot of ground." Kirishima's voice catches her attention, making her look over. She was so focused on the match she didn't notice him arrive. "Like 'Bam!'"

"And you can do it with no time lag." Sero frowns in jealousy, looking over at her then focusing back on Bakugo. She blinks a few times. She didn't even notice Bakugo. He's strangely quiet.

"I'm not just shooting them off. Don't underestimate 'em." Bakugo mutters. "If you overuse your muscles, the muscle fibers will tear, and if you keep running, you'll run out of breath. Quirks are physical abilities, too. They must also have some kind of limit."

Hotaru wordlessly nods in agreement at that before focusing back on the match. Bakugo's right. Quirks aren't limitless and require careful handling. Everyone and every Quirk has a limit. Judging on their performance thus far, the key to either of them winning will be endurance. Shoto seems to get that.

"I'll end this quickly." He states lowly, attacking with his ice but more swiftly than before. However, as expected, Midoriya counters yet again.

Hotaru's brows furrow. Midoriya has broken every single finger on his right hand. He's so resolved despite the painful consequences it's almost scary. How does he plan to continue fighting with all of those broken bones? She knows that she was injured quite badly throughout her own battle, _but not to this extreme_. Just looking at his dark and swollen fingers makes her cringe.

Shoto suddenly runs forward. He's using his ice as a ramp. Finally, he's going in for a close-ranged attack. Midoriya tries to force him back with another strong wind gust, but Shoto jumps out of its range. Ice forms around Shoto's fist and he throws it forward with great force. Midoriya barely manages to dodge. He staggers and that gives Shoto the chance to capture his foot in an icy trap.

With widened eyes, Hotaru's pulse accelerates and she clenches her fists. Is this the finishing blow? Midoriya's fingers are battered to the point he can't even use them. Her trembling fists move over the lower portion of her anxious face. _This is Shoto's chance._

 _What?_

Her own thoughts make her deadpan and become rigid, along with Midoriya's suddenly glowing arm. Midoriya drives his fist forward and shatters Shoto's ice, sending him backwards with winds stronger than a tornado's. His now broken arm makes him cry out loudly in pain, and Shoto's body rams not so gently at all into his own ice.

"Go, Midoriya!" Mineta wails noisily, waving his fists everywhere. "Beat him up!"

The sudden irritation she feels at Mineta's words makes it clear to her just who she's rooting for.

"That's a lot more powerful than before." Shoto states calmly, slowly standing up and moving a large shard of ice off of him. "Are you trying to tell me to stay away?"

His right side is covered in frost. He's trembling, too. That's bad, isn't it? He's reaching his limit. Clouded breath escapes his lips and Hotaru begins fiddling with her curls. This isn't looking good for either of them. She can't tell who has the upper hand.

However, she knows for certain if Shoto uses his left side he will undoubtedly have a major advantage. He would even be able to get rid of that frostbite. Him using his left side isn't so simple though, _all because of Endeavor_. But, his fire is nothing like his. Guilt fills her to the brim. She shouldn't have compared him to that man.

"What, you're that beat up just from defending and running away? Sorry." Shoto begins, clearly trying to get under Midoriya's skin. His eyes look over at Endeavor in the audience. "Thank you, Midoriya. That guy's face is clouded over thanks to you."

Hotaru looks over to see for herself, and sure enough, Endeavor appears very bothered. Why? Is it because Midoriya is proving to be a formidable opponent? Because Shoto won't use his flames? Either way, her eyes narrow. She doesn't want Shoto to look at him.

"With your arms like that, you can't fight anymore, can you?" Shoto continues. "Let's finish this."

It certainly seems like Midoriya is done for. Shoto attacks by sending spiky shards of ice at him full speed. Hotaru never bites her nails, but she's doing that now. Shoto is underestimating Midoriya. Afterall, he's still standing despite being in an unbelievable amount of pain.

"Look out..." She whispers beneath her breath.

"Where are you looking?" Midoriya suddenly bites out in a tone that makes her grow tense.

Shoto's eyes widen when his ice is rendered into fragments, and grunts when he's hit with a strong gust of air. He stops himself from going out of bound with his ice, _nearly being too late_. That was too close for comfort.

"Bastard…" Shoto breathes out with an icy glare. "With your broken finger…?"

Hotaru releases a breath that she didn't even know she was holding. _Midoriya is insane_. Can he not feel pain? Or, is he just ignoring it? Regardless, surely that finger isn't going to heal properly. There's no questioning his passion for wanting to become a hero, but he can't do that if he injuries his body beyond repair. She's worried for him. She's worried for Shoto. Watching this whole thing is nerve-racking.

"Why are you going so far?" Shoto gets out between his heavy breaths, winded from that attack.

"You're trembling, Todoroki-kun." Midoriya reveals, a shadow over his face. Shoto eyes widen as he becomes tense. "Quirks are physical abilities, too. There's a limit to how much cold your body can take, isn't there? And isn't that something you can solve by using the heat from your left side? Everyone is fighting with everything they've got. To win and get closer to their dream. To become number one… you want to win with just half your strength?!"

Hotaru's lips part in wonder at his words. Her eyelids lower slightly, and she bites down harshly on the inside of her cheek, drawing blood. _Everyone is fighting with everything they've got._ She can't say that she falls into that category. Her hands fall into her lap and her fingers tremble.

Ever since the cavalry battle, she's been unsure. Additionally, her fight with Shiozaki was ambiguous to say the least. The goal she had for herself is gradually morphing into something else. As of right now, she doesn't even know what she's doing. No, she shouldn't say that. She's fully aware, yet she's reluctant deep down.

"You haven't put a single scratch on me yet, you know!" Midoriya bites out, somehow forming a fist despite his broken appendages. "Come at me with everything you've got!"

"Midoriya… What are you planning? Everything I've got?" Shoto grumbles, his face twisting in rage. "Did my damn old man buy you off or something? Now I'm angry!"

Shoto starts sprinting forward. However, _his movements are much slower than before_. Hotaru leans forward and swallows thickly. _He's extremely angry._ This is her first time seeing him direct that hateful glare at someone else other than herself or Endeavor. Her eyes narrow slightly. She feels as if she's missing something. Her breath gets caught in her throat as a thought strikes her.

From the way Midoriya spoke along with his reckless actions, Shoto's words and his livid expression. _Could it be?_ Does Midoriya know why Shoto refuses to use his flames? Does he know of Endeavor's vile behavior? How would he know that… _unless Shoto told him himself?_

Even back then, Shoto wouldn't tell her a thing about his upbringing. Even now he won't tell her. She's always guessing. Her lips curve upwards into a shallow smile. _Figures._ Maybe she's not meant to be his hero. She can't save him at all. But, _Midoriya can_. Just as she thinks that, Midoriya's fist slams into Shoto's gut.

Sweat drips down Shoto's face. His hand presses against his abdomen that's now radiating with pain from Midoriya's punch. He rises onto his feet somewhat unsteadily, glaring at him.

"Why…?" He murmurs in frustration, continuing his onslaught with his ice. Midoriya is able to counter and evade no matter how he chooses to attack. He keeps getting pushed back. His body is becoming numb as more frost spreads across his flesh. Everything… _is starting to hurt_.

"Why are you going so far…?" He inquires through his aches and pains.

"Because I want to live up to everyone's expectations." Midoriya answers and he runs towards him, his broken arm that's covered in ice just thrashing at his side. "I want to be able to smile… and respond to them… to be a cool hero… That's what I want to be!"

Shoto no longer feels like he's standing on that stage. He's in a place more tranquil. His mismatch eyes drift off to the side and land on a figure sitting beneath a wisteria tree. The sound of rippling water resonates and koi swim about. Then, his mother's voice calls out to him.

•

" _Shoto…"_

•

A fierce pain drags him away, and he gags. Midoriya headbutts him and sends him skidding backwards. He nearly loses his footing.

"That's why… everyone's giving it their all!" Midoriya yells at him. "There's no way I could know all of your circumstances, or your resolve. But, for you to become number one without giving it your all, to completely reject your father… Right now, I think you should stop screwing around!"

•

" _Shoroki!" Hotaru beams._

" _What?"_

" _I wrote you a song." She informs as she tosses fish food into the pond._

" _...A-A song?" He stutters out with red cheeks._

" _Mhm! It's your hero theme song. Alright, here I go~!"_

" _W-Wait...!"_

" _Shoto is strong. Shoto is cool. Shoto is the best! He's—!"_

 _His intense laughter overpowers her obnoxious voice, and his mother smiles from afar._

•

After those torturous mornings he spent with his father, after watching his mother suffer for the sole purpose of trying to protect him, his days always ended with Hotaru. She always did the most stupid things to make him laugh even though she was undergoing her own dark battles. He never knew exactly what those battles were, though. Every time he questioned her she merely smiled.

She wanted to be a villain, and he wanted to be a hero. Those two things are incompatible. Everyone knows that. Yet, she still made him smile. She still remained his friend. She was his hero in those dark times.

When she became a villain, when they parted ways, she turned away from him so easily. He remembers looking back at her only to be forsaken. She compared him… _to his father_. That abusive and awful man. Even now she does. Her actions and words, _he can't bring himself to forgive her_.

"Shut up…!" He growls from between his teeth.

•

" _I don't wanna, Mom…" Shoto cries into his mother's chest. Her fingers run through his hair soothingly. "I… I… I don't want to be like Dad! I don't wanna become someone who bullies you, Mom!"_

" _But, you want to be a hero, don't you?" His mother questions with a warm smile. "It's okay for you to be one. As long as you have a future you feel strongly about..."_

•

"That's why… I will win! I will surpass you!"

Pain burrows deeply into his abdomen at Midoriya's merciless punch. The sound of a boiling kettle fills his ears. He can feel that scorching water on his face all over again. He can see his mom's disgusted expression at the sight of him. As he falls backwards, he stares at the sky he can't quite make out.

Just like Hotaru left, _his mom was torn away from him too_. They both saw his father in him. It's because of his old man that his mother ended up so distressed. It's because of his old man that Hotaru was raised to be a villain. He's going to reject his old man no matter the costs. _He's not going to be like him_. His mom and Hotaru… despite everything… _he…_

"Shoto!" A familiar voice calls out to him. It's broken in sound and frantic. He looks over and finds himself staring into her silver eyes.

They are wide and thick moisture swirls within them. She's standing, leaning over the edge of the railing and gripping it tightly. Her hair becomes disheveled due to the sudden wind gust and her eyelids clamp together, salty droplets flying away with the wind.

"Don't lose! I…!" Her striking orbs fly back open and she extends her hand. "I want to fight you, too!"

"Taru…" He whispers, his vision becoming hazy.

All of his dark emotions fall away. His old man is blocked out. He can't even visualize or hear his voice. The world now exists without him and everything is so much clearer. Hatred no longer poisons him. He was blinded. He can no longer deny it. His mom and Hotaru… despite everything…

 _He misses them._

"It's _your_ power, isn't it?!" Midoriya yells, and his breath gets caught in his throat.

•

" _Yes, that's right. Children inherit Quirks from their parents. But the really important thing is not that connection, but recognizing your own flesh and blood—recognizing yourself. That's what I mean when I say: 'I am here!' You see?" All Might's voice sounds from the TV him and his mom sit in front of._

•

Finally, he remembers the words his mom spoke to him after that.

•

" _But you want to be a hero, don't you? It's okay for you to be one. You don't have to be a prisoner of your blood. It's okay for you to become who you want to be."_

•

Fire erupts like a volcano, and Hotaru brings her hands up to shield her eyes from the sudden brightness and heat. He's using his left side. _He's using his fire_. Her hands lower and fall back onto the rail. _He's free._

"Even though you want to win… Damn it…" Shoto begins, the frost that was coating his skin melting. "To help your enemy… which one of us is screwing around now? I want... to be a hero, too…!"

It's been a while since she heard Shoto say that out loud. He's finally doing what _he_ wants, no longer worried about anyone else. However, it's been even longer since she saw his smile.

His flickering fire reflects in her eyes. Her lips slowly part as the air is sucked out of her. Her heart grows soothingly warm. She openly stares at his placid face that's featuring the most beautiful smile. His equally beautiful eyes leak tears of happiness. Not even Endeavor's idiotic words can tarnish it. Slowly, her hands fall away from the metal railing.

"I guess…" She whispers to herself, somewhat in a daze even as their final attack detonates. "...I don't have to worry anymore."

•○●○•

Shoto won the battle and now Midoriya is undergoing surgery. Hotaru had a feeling his injuries wouldn't be so simple to heal, which makes her even more worried about him. It's too bad. She wanted to tell him something. She wanted to thank him. He saved Shoto in a way she couldn't. However, it looks like the words she wants to say will have to wait.

A short break was given due to the damage the stage received during the battle. So, now they are taking time to repair it. The next fight will be between her and Iida. She wonders how this will go. She should probably take this extra time to strategize, however, her mind is elsewhere.

"Aihara-san!" A voice calls out to her, making her look over her shoulder. Iida is walking down the hall and in her direction.

"Iida-kun," She turns around, facing him with a smile. "Me and you are in the ring next, right? I look forward to it. No holding back, alright?"

"Yes!" He grins excitedly. "The same goes for you. Whatever the outcome, I hope there will be no hard feelings, Aihara-san."

He holds his hand out to her in friendly sportsmanship. Graciously, she places her hand in his for a shake. Iida is such a refined guy. She really likes that about him.

"Of course." She lowers her eyelids. "I wish you luck, Iida-kun."

"...Aihara-san, are you well?" Iida suddenly questions.

Her hand in his grasp is trembling, and now that he's really looking at her she looks distraught. Not only that, her complexion is quite pale. Sweat forms on his temple as he becomes concerned.

Iida's very perceptive. Actually, everyone is. This isn't the first time someone has questioned her well-being today. The only difference this time is that she's sure Iida isn't going to simply brush this aside. He's quick to act and takes things to the extreme.

"I'm just a little nervous." She answers, bringing her arms around her midsection. She's smiling a fake smile in hopes to assure him.

"Oh! I see." Iida's jaw drops. Suddenly, he glues his arms to his sides and bows lowly. "Please, forgive me! The truth is, I'm quite nervous myself. You are definitely a formidable opponent!"

Hotaru's lips gradually downturn, guilt weighing heavily on her. As Iida straightens up she ducks her head just enough so hair covers the majority of her face. Her fingers curl into her jacket and cause it to wrinkle.

"Actually, Iida-kun…" She whispers, turning away from him before he can see her face. "I should be the one apologizing."

"What do you mean?" Iida inquires, confused. He doesn't get an answer. She's already walking away while waving from over her shoulder.

Iida blinks a few times, staring after her while bringing his finger to his chin. Something is definitely wrong with her, and he's not sure if she told the truth just now. Why else would she apologize? The sound of approaching footsteps makes him turn around.

"Oh, Todoroki-san." Iida greets with a stiff wave. "Congratulations on your win."

"Thanks." Shoto nods slightly, coming to a stop beside him. Iida looks back at the retreating Hotaru with obvious concern, and Shoto follows his gaze. "Is something the matter?"

"Well, I believe so. Aihara-san seems troubled. I wonder if it has something to do with the booing she received. Or, perhaps someone has upset her?" He contemplates.

That last bit makes Shoto look at the ground. _Someone has upset her?_ He knows for a fact that person is himself. The booing of the crowd must've upset her, too. Either way, he feels like he's the one to blame. He _is_ the one to blame, _yet she still called out to him_. His chest feels heavy as he peeks in her direction.

"Perhaps you should try talking to her." Iida suggests. "She seems fond of you. You both are childhood friends, right?"

"Well—"

"Aihara-san!" Iida abruptly yells, making Shoto's eyes enlarge. "Wait!"

Hotaru comes to a stop at Iida's very loud voice. With a small frown, she turns around only to see a cloud of dust. Confusion washes over her and she tilts her head. When the dust clears, she sees someone unexpected.

Shoto stands there, alone, staring at her. Iida has bolted away. _Why would he do that?_ Her gaze is overwhelming. He can't read her. She's emotionless. It makes him uptight. He doesn't know what to say to her. _No_. He knows what to say, he only can't bring himself to say it. He swallows thickly.

He starts taking steps towards her even though he's hesitant. If he were to walk away, it would only deepen the rift between them. That's something he doesn't want. He needs to force the words out. He wants to make amends for his foolish mistakes. He wants to admit that she was right about him being his old man's puppet all along.

Even though he was rejecting him, the hatred he was harboring took over him. He wants to apologize for his rude behavior and reveal how he's struggling to forgive her, and also confess how he misses those days they spent together. For once, he wants to be honest about his feelings even though he doesn't completely understand them himself.

He comes to a stop before her, and she peers up at him through her ebony lashes. Her silver eyes are fickle, like a cloudy day where one can't tell if rain will happen or not. Normally he's the one towering over her, but it's almost as if it's the other way around. She's the one looking up at him, yet he feels like he's about to collapse from the pressure.

"Aihara-san," He speaks softly, and her eyelids lower slightly. "I'm sorry."

That's all he can bring himself to say, because the pressure grows more weighty when she leans closer to him. Her eyes stare deeply into his own, and skittish sweat forms on his temple. She raises her hand and fiddles with her hair, tucking some strands behind her ear. She takes a backwards step and turns on the balls of her feet while uttering.

"Nice joke."

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Adamantine

❤•○●○•❤

"What are you doing? You were supposed to be on stage five minutes ago."

Aizawa glares down at Hotaru who's sitting in the darkest corner of the waiting room. She doesn't respond to him and continues to scroll through her phone. His eyelid twitches and he tramples over to her. He snatches the phone from her, freezing when he catches sight of all the gruesome messages on screen. Did she read through these? The answer is obvious.

"Aihara," He lowers himself onto the ground, sitting cross-legged in front of her. She buries her face in her hands. "You can't let them win."


	27. Adamantine

**nico2411:** haha~! she needs the biggest hug in the world! i hope you don't mind me pulling on your heartstrings for a little bit longer ! (´ ∀ ` *) i hope you're ready for this chapter and the next o(≧▽≦)o , thank you so much for reading and everything ~ ! ❤

 **LadyAmazon:** haha ! honestly i felt bad about tricking everyone but also at the same time i was like 'this is going to be hilarious,' lmaoo ! yeeah, Shoto is going to have to WORK for Taru-chan !and omg i love that quote from Mulan it's like one of my most favorite quotes ever ! AND, about my tulips. this is crazy, so, right after i updated this story i went to bed. i woke up to see it snowing .. ? i panicked but the tulips survived. but then yesterday there was the most nasty hailstorm ever and now they look sooo awful. but they are still blooming ! tulips are as tough as nails i guess, haha. this is my first time growing them. i should try doing an indoor garden like you, i never thought of that ~ ! ❤ i hope your gardening is going well! enjoy your tea too, i'm sipping some right now haha.

 **Cally:** aaahh ~ ! thank you so much ! ( ´ ω ` ) yeah she's not going to forgive that boy just yet, ehe. next chapter for you ! the fated battle is upon us.

 **SummerBum95:** haha ! perhaps me tricking everyone could be my early April Fools joke, lol. Taru will do anything to piss off her parents, haha. mhm, you're absolutely right. those two are both in the wrong in some shape or form. now, if only they will just sit down and talk things out. (ノ_。) , thank you sm for reading !

 **NotDeadYet16:** thank you ! ❤ that means a lot and makes me happy! i hope you can continue to enjoy this story!

 **Emocean:** thank you! good luck with your online classes, too! ❤ lmaooo! i absolutely love reading your reviews there is so much energy to them and they make me laugh out loud. i agree with everything ! her parents are.. awful. Shiozaki was interesting. and Shoto is so mean, but yeah at least her apologized, haha! it's not going to be that easy tho. i love writing Iida, too ahah so thank you ! and i totally understand the bed thing. i'm in my bed too rn as always. (¯▿¯) ~ cheers ! hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **bbymojo:** aaahh, crying tears of happiness and sending you x 300 ❤'s. ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡ ! i truly enjoy writing Shiozaki vs Hotaru even though i ended up rewriting it like three times, aha. it was a little tricky so i'm happy you enjoyed it! Mineta being Mineta is always great, and no matter what Hotaru just can't get rid of her soft spot for Shoto, ehe. ❤ and Shoto is about to discover his for her through his grovelling, mwaha! it's going to be so worth it i'm sooo excited. \\(^ヮ^)/ my evil side is laughing too !

 **Kancolle Haruna Chan:** thank you! ❤

 **lovelyhatter:** tension is great ~ ! and yes he did leave some things left unsaid (ノ_。), aah Shoto . but it's a tiny step forward i suppose , aha. Dadzawa to the rescue ! i love writing him and Hotaru. thank you so much! sending you lots of love ! ❤

 **Vienna22:** thank you so much ! ❤ it really means a lot. i hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **winddemon199:** i love Endeavor as a character too (´ ∀ ` *) he'll become a better person eventually, i'm sure! maybe sooner than later, ehe. next chapter for you! thank you for reading!

•○●○•

 **i hope everyone is well and healthy!** ❤

 **thank you as always and take care of yourselves.** **we're in this together, everyone** ❤

 **happy to share my writing with you especially during these difficult times!**

 **please, enjoy!** ❤

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Adamantine

❤•○●○•❤

"Alright! It's time for the second match of the second round! Are you ready?!"

The audience cheers in response to Present Mic's voice, focusing intently on the stage Hotaru and Iida stand upon. Iida is staring Hotaru down with a severe gaze while she studies a fly that just landed nearby. She adjusts the collar of her jacket, tapping the tip of her shoes where her toes are confined against the ground. She looks completely disinterested and that makes Iida's eyes narrow.

Hotaru has always been a mysterious character to him. He can never quite tell what she's thinking. Whenever he thinks he's close to figuring her out, she does something that completely proves him wrong. She claimed to be nervous, but looking at her now proves otherwise. Like spring clouds, _she's unpredictable_.

Regardless of what she's thinking right now, this fight that's about to happen will be his most difficult one yet. She's the only one here who can move at high speeds that rival his own. He's not sure if his Recipro Burst will be enough to defeat her, and he knows the most simple touch will allow for her to electrocute him. He needs to tread carefully, _but so does she_.

Thanks to the cavalry battle, he learned that her speed trick isn't as all-powerful as he originally thought. He's not implying that it isn't impressive or strong, because it is. He's only implying that the weighty consequences that come with it put her at a disadvantage. It's a risky technique that makes her reach her limit more quickly. She's placing an electrical burden on her own body and he can use that to his advantage.

The fly Hotaru was staring at suddenly takes off, leading her to meet Iida's serious eyes. _Iida-kun_. This fight is going to require a lot of energy. He's extremely fast and that worries her, and he's much stronger than her physically as well. A punch from him would hurt. A kick would be even more painful she's sure.

However, if he touches her he'll get shocked. His engines stall for a while after his Recipro Burst, too. She can use that to her advantage to blast him out of bounds or shock him unconscious. That's easier said than done, though.

She needs to be careful and precise. She needs to expect the unexpected. This will be a battle of speed. She certainly has it, but she can't maintain it for long. Her father's fighting style may actually come in handy. Will she be killing two birds with one stone?

"From a family of heroes, from the hero course, it's Tenya Iida!" Present Mic exclaims. "Versus! Also, from the hero course! And, who I'm rooting for…" He whispers that last bit, but it's still loud enough for everyone to hear. "It's Hotaru Aihara! Let's get it!"

The audience roars loudly, free of any booing. Hotaru's shoulders rise as she draws in a breath. She holds it for three seconds before releasing it. Iida crouches slightly and she remains upright. Why does she feel so detached? Is it because this is her last match? Her eyelids drape over her silver eyes while her lips purse.

"Disappointing…" She whispers.

"Start!" Present Mic yells.

Iida's fingertips brush against the rough ground and he falls into a deep lunge. The pipes on his legs start to erupt with blazing gases. Hotaru's eyes slowly open and hold a sinister glow. The audience grows tense and Endeavor's teeth grit naturally at that recognizable demeanor. Her resemblance to _him_ is uncanny.

"Recipro…!" Iida begins, not affected by her villainous appearance. "Burst!"

With incredible speed, he runs forward. Hotaru's body becomes shrouded in lightning and she takes a single step forward, raising her hand in front of her offensively. Iida closes the gap between them in an instant, and she says the name of her technique like everyone else seems to do.

"Lightning Beast." She whispers.

The air becomes still while silence spreads. Time slows when Iida's foot comes rushing at her head. A black curtain falls over the world around her. She imagines a bowl of water harboring a lone fish. The water is rippling. She needs to keep it steady. If she doesn't, the water will spill and the fish will suffer. In other words, she needs to handle her quirk carefully, _especially since she has to spend so much energy already_.

She drops onto the ground and under his leg. She spirals and aims her own kick at his shins. He jumps and she bounces back to dodge another swift kick that's quickly followed up by another. The rushing air from the force makes her hair whip. He's not giving her any breathing time.

For every attack he sends her way she evades with either a duck or bound, and he does the exact same for her own attacks. His attacks which are made up of punches and kicks, _they're scattered_. Despite that, they are accurately aimed. He's not just swinging randomly.

He's keeping her moving. He's moving so rapidly and making her exert herself. It's hard for her to keep up with him. The engines on his thighs where hot gases escape, he's keeping them angled towards her. That's when it clicks. _That sly fox._ He's trying to make her overheat. Her irises shrink and she extends her arms, a shadow falling over her face.

"That's enough." She murmurs piercingly. Just this once, she's going to spill the water.

Iida's eyes enlarge when she suddenly moves faster than before, so fast it's almost like a glitching NPC character in a game. Before he can even comprehend what's happening, her foot slams into his side. Lightning travels into him upon contact and he cries out, the force of her kick making him skid backwards at a great distance.

The boundary is approaching him quickly and his teeth grit, unable to move due to paralysis. Just before he crosses the forbidden line, his engines spew enough gas to make him stagger forward instead. _That was too close_. He looks ahead at Hotaru with a hard gaze. She's more quick to anger than usual.

She's moving swiftly and powerfully, but also in a lethargic manner. He noticed she favors ranged attacks, so he figured if he closed the gap he would have an advantage at close combat. He was wrong. That fighting style rings many alarm bells. He may as well be fighting Lightning Beast himself.

"Wow!" Present Mic screams along with the audience. "S-So fast! So much happened in just a span of ten seconds!"

Iida straightens up with sweat forming on his temple. He knew his Recipro Burst wouldn't be enough, which is why he chose to use it early. Now he just needs to somehow hold out for a minute or two. However, his eyes narrow slightly. That sudden burst of speed she displayed, _is she holding back?_ He gasps slightly when the blue glow emitting from her fades. His plan is working.

"She's trembling…" Shoto whispers to himself from the stands, his eyes still somewhat wide from her and Iida's intense exchange. Not only is she trembling, but she's covered with sweat and her eyes are drooping. Iida's trying to make her overheat, _and it's working_. This is a bad match up.

Iida has superior speed and Hotaru's struggling to keep up. Additionally, when it comes to endurance, Iida has Hotaru beat by a long shot. She has obviously come a long way with her training, but a month isn't enough time to outrun someone who's been running for nearly their whole life. If he's being honest, he's sure he would be struggling himself. But, _now's her chance_. Iida's engines are stalling.

Hotaru raises her hand and takes aim at Iida, taking notice of how his engines are leaking with smoke. By trying to make her overheat, he also put himself at a disadvantage. She'll end this now.

Lightning shoots from her index finger and hurls towards Iida, thunder booming. The distance between them is considerable and she wants to keep it that way. If another close combat fight occurs she'll be done for. Sweat drips from her chin and her arm trembles. Her silvery eyes enlarge and the audience cheers.

"Iida's so quick, not even lightning can touch him!" Present Mic exclaims.

 _What?_

Iida dodged her lightning. Even though his engines are stalling, his own leg power and natural speed is enough to maneuver around her strikes. Hotaru's teeth bare. Her body is slowing down and the fact that he's so far away isn't helping. It's giving him more time to dodge, additionally the fact that it's quite obvious where she's aiming. He's not advancing on her either. He's keeping his distance.

"Damn it…" She mutters with a popping vein. Her body is already sweltering so she can't just shoot continuously. That kick she landed on him was supposed to be the finishing blow which is what led her to use her quirk carelessly. She really is going to have to use every bit of her energy, huh? Her irritation is obvious to everyone.

"Calm down…" Aizawa whispers to himself, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watches. Something really is eating away at her. It's like she's fighting two battles at once and it's compromising her performance.

"Dodge this, then." Hotaru says, lowering her arm. Lightning discharges from her body and extends outwards, covering the stage. Iida crouches on the ground and performs a high jump, getting out of its range effortlessly.

The moment he touches the ground, Hotaru is already shooting more lightning his way. A total of ten strikes rush at him, one coming from each of her fingertips. He runs in a zig-zag formation, evading each one.

Hotaru wipes sweat from her brow. This fight isn't going how she wants it to at all. Then again, _nothing goes how she wants it to._ She's running out of options. How disappointing.

Her eyelids clamp together and she crouches, pressing her hands against the ground. It looks like she's going to have to close the gap, because she's getting nowhere as of right now. Utilizing Lightning Beast seems to be the only way to turn this around.

She now knows how fast his Recipro Burst is, and she knows she can move faster than that if she _really_ pushes herself. She's going to be spilling the water again and more carelessly than before. However, this will be the last time she does it and she doesn't need to worry about her condition afterwards. She's going to end things right here and now, _for sure_.

Sparks coil around her figure and she's suddenly sprinting forward with the sound of thunder. Her body temperature skyrockets. She focuses on her breath and the air rushing at her face, anything to distract herself from the intense heat. Iida starts advancing on her too, getting away from the edge of the stage. His engines aren't steaming anymore.

"Recipro…!" Iida begins, and her eyes narrow in anticipation while her sparks intensify. His leg raises and she gets ready to counter. "...Extend!"

 _Recipro Extend?_

With speed nothing like before, his leg comes soaring towards her. _He's too fast._ Before she even knows it, his foot slams into her abdomen. It digs into her mercilessly and makes her hack blood. Her ribcage is on fire and she's blinded by pain. She's sent backwards and lands roughly on the ground, dust kicking up.

"A direct hit!" Present Mic springs from his seat, panicked. Mineta sobs but Hotaru can't hear any of it. All she can hear is the ringing in her ears, and of course, _him_.

"Taru!" Shoto yells.

Why would _he_ call out to her? It doesn't make any sense. It makes her chest burn even more but from something entirely different. He's the last person she wants to call out her name in that worried voice. She hopes she was just hearing things. After all, _he feels nothing for her_. He's nothing but a joke, _a joke that she just can't seem to disregard_.

With quivering limbs, she slowly starts to push herself up. Everything feels as if it's on fire. She's sweating excessively and excess sparks still dwell upon her flesh, making her wince. She feels nauseous when she rolls onto her front and the vile taste of blood spreads across her tongue. Her eyes crack open and her complexion grows impossibly pale. The tips of her fingers are right against the boundary line. She's just a mere centimeter away from touching it.

"Iida is out of commission!" Midnight's voice abruptly yells out, and Hotaru quickly looks towards the center of the stage with blurry vision. The R-Rated Hero is crouched down next to an unconscious Iida. "Aihara advances to the semi-finals!"

The audience is caught in a stunned silence, and Hotaru manages to move herself into a sitting position. She rests her arm over her bent knee with shallow breaths. Red seeps from the outer corner of her lips. She tries raising her hand towards her face only to wince once more when her body freezes momentarily. Her own residue sparks stun her, and she lets her hand fall to the ground. _Paralysis?_ She supposes that makes sense.

She was serious when she said she would end things, _even if it meant taking Iida down with her_. So, she made sure the voltage she was using on herself was high enough to knock him out upon contact. However, he surprised her.

He had even more speed stored away. Despite the high voltage shock he suffered from, he still managed to push through the pain and nearly send her out of bounds. Perhaps even he was trying to take her down with him. He's strong. For once in her life, _she got lucky_. That's all there was to this win. Nothing more, nothing less.

Hotaru rises onto her wobbly feet by some miracle, wavering instantly. Her teeth grind together in discomfort at the fiery pain that's radiating from every part of her. Her eyes are drawn to the silent audience, and naturally her gaze falls onto _him_.

Her silver eyes are vacant as she stares right at Shoto. He couldn't stop himself from calling out to her when Iida landed that solid kick. It just happened naturally like when she fought Nomu. He doesn't quite understand it. Despite that, his tense muscles slowly begin to relax. She won. _That means his next fight will be…_

His thoughts come to a sudden halt when the shine in her eyes disappears. They become clouded and faded. Her hair becomes ruffled at the sudden motion. A silent gasp escapes him. Like someone flicked off a power switch, _she collapses_.

•○●○•

Even in her sleep she's tired. She's floating in darkness, sinking deeper and deeper. Air bubbles rush past her and muffled voices reach out to her. A beckoning pair of silver and red eyes stare at her. They grow closer and soon she can see their deceitful faces. Her father reaches out to her with a smile, his lips moving. He fades away and an entirely different voice overpowers his own.

"Taru."

Hotaru's eyes crack open and stare up at a blue ceiling. She blinks a few times, wondering if her eyes are still closed. Why does everything look so dark? She reaches up, feeling a medical ice bag on top of her head. Did she pass out? When she turns her head, she can see Iida in a separate bed next to hers.

"You're awake, Aihara-san!" He smiles at her with a wave. "I'm glad."

She stares at him with tightly sealed lips. He's awake and well. She pushes herself up into a sitting position, the icy bag on her head falling into her lap. Her eyes close for a brief second before reopening. _It's no good_. It's still dark.

" _You're_ awake." She says, her lips curving upwards while her bangs cover her eyes. " _I'm_ glad."

"I regrettably lost." He begins, clenching his fists as his face twists in frustration. "I underestimated your lightning. But, it was an honorable fight. I am happy to have fought against you."

"I underestimated your speed." She admits, her hand moving over her abdomen. Recovery Girl obviously healed whatever damage has been done, but the memory of pain lingers. "You're incredibly strong and fast. I couldn't keep up."

"About that…" Iida suddenly clasps his hands together in apology. "I apologize."

"Don't worry about it." She waves her hand through the air with the smallest of smiles. "A fight is a fight. It's not supposed to feel good. But, since you're apologizing, I'm going to apologize too." She meets his eyes hesitantly. "Sorry for shocking you so intensely, and…" She swallows thickly. "Sorry for… not being myself out there."

"It's not a problem." Iida smiles, stiffly moving his arms about. "It may have unsettled me for a moment, but it was completely impractical."

"Impractical?" She murmurs, looking at him curiously.

"Yes. Others may have seen your father, but I saw you, Aihara-san." He reveals, making her lips part in surprise. "Despite your villain past and tactics, I know you are a good person."

His words make her eyes grow wide in shock. It doesn't take long for her expression to morph into a troubled one. He didn't see her father in her? Her fingers curl tightly into the fabric of her pants. Wrinkles form and she stares down at her lap.

Her father's face flashes before her followed by her mother's. The strange dream she just had follows afterwards. She would've referred to it as a nightmare if it wasn't for that voice that overpowered her father's.

"Iida-kun…" She begins carefully, making him blink. "Was Todoroki-san in here?"

"Yes." He answers with a short nod. "He along with the others came by while you were still sleeping. In fact, he left just before you woke up."

"I see." She whispers almost inaudibly.

The door opens and Recovery Girl comes walking in. She smiles in relief that she's now awake and begins making her way over. Hotaru doesn't even look her way, keeping her eyes downcast.

"I'm happy you're awake, dear." The old woman begins with a smile. Then, she frowns at her as the scolding begins. "I don't know exactly what you're doing with your quirk to increase your speed, but you need to be more careful. Your body can't—"

"Is it true?" Hotaru cuts her off, making her frown.

"That you nearly ruptured your insides again? Well, fortunately no. It was just some internal bleeding. However, that's still serious."

"What—?!" Iida starts to exclaim until Hotaru speaks again.

"No. I'm not worried about that." She says quietly, making them have to strain their ears. "Is it true that Todoroki-san was in here?"

Recovery Girl raises a brow at her. Iida and the old woman exchange a glance before looking at Hotaru once more. Her fingers are trembling and they aren't sure why. Recovery Girl taps her cane against the ground.

"That sweet boy always comes by to check on you." She answers, and Hotaru slowly looks over at her.

"Always?" She repeats.

"Always." The old woman confirms, and Hotaru's breath gets caught in her throat.

She thinks back to what feels like forever ago. _Their combat training_. When she and Mineta fought against Shoto and Bakugo. After that fight, she rested in Recovery Girl's office. One of the voices she heard but couldn't distinguish, _was Shoto?_

•

" _...I wasn't worried about her..."_

•

It was him. The puzzle piece fits perfectly. He came to visit her even back then when the tension between them was so high? Recovery Girl said "always." Hotaru swallows forcefully. _No way_. Her hands tangle into her hair. What is she saying?

"He came by earlier too." Recovery Girl reveals with a worried crease in her brow. "But, that was when you didn't want to see anybody."

Large waves of anger suddenly roll off of Hotaru's form. Her blood is boiling as she slides off of the bed. Iida and Recovery Girl call after her when she stomps out the door, but she doesn't listen. She may as well have not heard them.

Her walk is expeditious and her steps are heavy. The world around her grows darker and darker. Her vision grows blurry and she bites down on her lower lip, her fists quivering at her sides. She turns down a new hall and spots him at the end of it. He's nearby. So, it really is true.

His back is to her and his hands are in his pockets as he walks. Her teeth bare and she takes off into a messy run. The sound of her heavy steps makes him turn around. His eyes widen instantly at her villainous expression. His lips part but she closes the gap before any words come out.

He grunts when she shoves him roughly against the wall, her fists tangled in his shirt. Her silver eyes that are flickering cyan glare up at him. Sweat forms on his temple and her grip on him grows even tighter.

"I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but knock it off!" She fiercely yells at him.

"What are you talking about?" Shoto retorts, his own glare forming.

"Stop playing dumb!" She bites out. "What the hell are you trying to do?! S-Stop messing with me! I can't take it anymore! S-Seriously… just stop it already…!"

Her eyebrows quiver along with her lower lip. Warm tears escape her eyes and stain her cheeks. The grip she has on his shirt gradually loosens as her fingers straighten out, her hands now flat against his chest. Her livid glare has transformed into a gaze of pure confusion and grief.

That expression makes him freeze, but mostly those sorrowful glistening trails descending down her cheeks. The only tears he's ever seen from her were happy tears. These are the tears she refuses to give to anyone, but yet she's shedding them for him and because of him.

He doesn't know what to do. He's just as confused as she is. Why she came at him like this and her words are a mystery to him. Despite that, all he can think about is how he could possibly get her to stop crying.

"Aihara-san," Shoto begins carefully, moving. His fingertips gingerly brush against the back of her hands resting against his wrinkled shirt. The moment she feels that contact, her breath gets caught in her throat and she takes a backwards step. A fathomless rift forms between them.

Hotaru wipes furiously at her eyes, but that does nothing to stop the overflowing moisture. She didn't chase him down to cry. She didn't want him to see her like this. Although, it's hopeless at this point. She's tired of this confusion and uncertainty. She's sick of the deception. It's making her crumble. But, to let herself crumble this far… _damn him_.

"You hate me," She speaks in a frail tone. "S-So, stop doing things that suggest the opposite!"

Her voice echoes throughout the empty and far reaching hall. Once that echo fades, the air vent nearby begins to reverberate. Cold air spews onto them and their hair lightly ruffles as a result. Shoto averts his gaze from her to the ground.

When he apologized earlier, the pressure kept him from saying anything else. That pressure is no longer lingering. Something else is. It's something that makes him feel dismal and full of remorse. It's a desperation that gives him the strength to continue on with what he wanted to say.

"I don't hate you." He says quietly, meeting her glossy eyes once more.

"But, you don't like me." She instantly shoots back.

"That's not true."

The tightness in her chest makes it hard to breathe. Those words make more tears leak from her eyes. His apologetic tone and earnest mismatch eyes makes her take another step back. Her eyelids clamp together and she shakes her head curtly. She can't believe that.

"I want to be friends," He continues, making her grow tense all over. "Aihara-san."

At a slow pace, her eyes crack open. Her head that was ducked rises to look at him. Her lips part and her appendages tremble. As if she wasn't breathless enough, he smiles. It's the most subtle thing, like the faintest clap of thunder miles away. If he didn't always greet her with frowns and glares, she wouldn't even have noticed it.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I'm telling the truth."

"Liar."

"Liar?" Shoto quickly repeats, stunned.

"You never tell me the truth. You never tell me anything. After everything today, do you truly think I can believe you so easily?" She clenches her fists. "Just earlier you said you didn't like me, you say a half-assed apology, and now you want to be friends…? Just forget it. Todoroki-san,"

She looks away from him with a heavy breath, her tense muscles relaxing. _She's tired_. There's no way he's telling the truth. But, how would she know anyhow? When it comes to him she can't tell what's real or not.

"Forget everything. In return, I'll forget everything too."

"What?" His brows furrow.

"A friendship between us would be cynical. It took me till now to realize it." She mutters, taking steps away from him. "I don't want it."

"You're wrong."

"What?"

Now her brows are furrowed as she looks back at him, pausing in her walk. Those mismatch orbs of his are serious. It makes her jaw tighten and glare return. When it comes to his own benefit and getting the things he wants, he's adamantine. _Like a diamond_. A beautiful and stupid diamond.

"You're delusional." She speaks sharply. "I'm not going to fall for your tricks anymore. What do you even know about friendship?"

Silence hovers in the air for a brief moment after that. He looks hesitant. That's more than enough to answer her question. He doesn't know anything. He's wasted enough of her time as it is. _She's done—_

"I only know what you taught me." He answers.

Her heart skips an entire beat. It's as if it's melting and as a result her breath hitches. He begins taking steps closer to her. Her head screams at her to pull back, but the organ in her chest is so heavy she's rooted in the same spot. The tears she barely managed to stop are threatening to return. If she crumbled earlier, now she's shattering.

"I told you to stop screwing around." She breathes out, ducking her head when he comes to a stop before her. Her eyelids lower in an attempt to stop the returning flow of her tears. It's futile. She curses in frustration. "Damn it… I'm really sick of you. Leave me alone."

"A bet." He begins like she didn't say anything at all.

"What the hell are you on?"

"Nothing."

He's irritating her. He seriously wants to make a bet? This really is nothing but a twisted game to him. She's starting to question which one of them is the ex-villain. Why is he saying all of these things that tug at her heartstrings before their fight? He's trying to get inside her head again with false kindness once again. _Fine._ She'll respond in kind.

"You want to make a bet?" She repeats, and he nods. "Alright. What kind of bet?"

"Whoever wins our fight can request something from the loser." He suggests.

"Let's make it more interesting."

Shoto raises a brow when her silver eyes peer up at him. They are red from her tears, yet that does nothing to taint the severity of them. Her lips press together and she holds up her index finger.

"If you can land a single hit on me, I'll respond to a total of three requests." She begins. "It doesn't matter what they are or how big. But, you must speak those requests now."

His mind goes blank for a short moment. She's granting him three requests, but only if he can land a hit on her? That's a bold suggestion and it makes his lips purse. Is she implying that he can't land a hit on her? On top of that, he needs to speak those requests now.

"Hurry up and speak, Todoroki-san." She waves her finger around idly. "Or else we can forget about this whole thing."

"What are you planning?" He questions piercingly, and her head tilts.

"Is that request number one?"

His expression dulls and her devious one remains unchanging. She took control of the situation and is leading him straight into a trap. He knows it. Despite that, he wants to trust her even if this does somehow turn back around and slap him in the face.

"I want you to give me a chance to prove that we can be friends. I want you to tell me about your past. And…" His gaze softens. "I want you to thank me."

"Thank you?" She repeats, confused.

"You said you needed to thank me." He reminds her. "So, I want you to tell me why you're thankful."

"You still haven't figured it out?"

"I gave it some thought like you told me to. There's only one possibility I came up with. I think I'm wrong, though."

"Well, tell me so I can tell you if you're wrong or not."

"Is that a request? You only have two left now." He looks rather smug when her hand drops back to her side. "I'll give you three requests, too. If you can land a hit on me."

"How sweet of you." She states dully. "Unfortunately, I can't think of any."

"None at all?" He blinks, caught off guard. He thought she would have plenty. "You don't have to think of them now—"

"You're missing the point. I can't think of anything, because…" She starts taking retreating steps, pressing the heels of her hands against her watery eyes. "There's nothing I want from you."

•○●○•

"It's finally time!" Present Mic exclaims with a large grin. "The first match of the semi-finals! It's the fated battle! With the intense rivalry their parents share, this is going to be the most flashy battle yet! From the hero course, it's the icy-hot Shoto Todoroki!"

The audience roars loudly when Shoto walks out onto the field. His demeanor is serious and his eyes are fixated. After all these years, he finally gets to fight against Hotaru. The challenge she issued towards him before this whole thing even began is still fresh in his mind, too. He can now get back at her for that day and release the rest of his frustrations. He's going to move on, all while learning more about her. He needs to make sure he lands a hit.

"I'm kind of excited about this fight." Someone in the audience admits.

"Me too! It'll be like watching an actual fight between Lightning Beast and Endeavor, huh?"

"Who do you think will win?"

"Endeavor's son, obviously."

Shoto steps onto the stage, his eyelids lowering as he draws in a deep breath. This fight will be far from easy. Hotaru's lightning is dangerous, but he knows her weakness. He knows her fighting style, but he can't treat her lightly. Underestimating her would be foolish. When Present Mic's voice sounds out from the speakers, his eyes open and stare into the dark tunnel ahead that she will be emerging from.

"Versus, also from the hero course, the tempest angel, Hotaru Aihara!"

The audience goes wild, eager for her to arrive and for the fated fight to commence. Shoto's eyes gradually widen and the loud cheers begin to diminish. Soon, silence is hovering in the air and Present Mic sweat-drops.

"T-The tempest angel, Hotaru Aihara!" He yells again and desperately.

A full minute goes by and there's no sign of Hotaru. The audiences begins to whisper amongst themselves, noting how Hotaru seems to be a coward like her father. Endeavor slowly grins while letting out an amused chuckle.

"Where's Taru-chan?" Mineta looks around with a sad face.

"I don't know." Midoriya whispers, a worried crease in his brow.

"That Lightning Bastard better show up and kill that Half-and-Half Bastard." Bakugo grumbles with a popping vein. He wants to fight Hotaru next.

A shadow falls over Shoto's face and his jaw goes slightly slack. It hits him. She was never going to fight him at all. _That's why she changed the bet_. Instead of the original bet of the loser carrying out a request for the winner, she changed it to landing a hit. She had no intention of carrying out this bet, _because she was never going to…_

"Taru…" He bites out with a bitter glare, clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles turn white.

Midnight brings her hand over her earpiece with a frown, looking across the field at Cementoss. He shrugs his shoulders, signaling he doesn't understand what's happening either. Her blue eyes look up at the commentary room, zoning in on Present Mic and Aizawa.

"Should I count this as a dropout?" She mutters quietly, although not liking that idea.

"Hey, Eraserhead." Present Mic turns to Aizawa in a panic, whispering. "Where's your student?"

Aizawa's eyes shut and he lets out a heavy sigh. How would he know where she is or what she's doing? However, he does know something is wrong with her. He can tell just with a glance. She was so determined for today. To simply throw the match isn't like her. He stands up and starts to venture towards the door.

"I'm going to find out. Don't count this as a dropout just yet." He grumbles.

"W-Wait, what should I say to these people then?!"

"You're a radio show host. I'm sure you can figure it out."

The door shuts behind Aizawa, and Present Mic stares in a panic. He looks around wildly and for nothing in particular. With a sudden energetic scream, he springs from his chair and waves his arms around.

"It looks like we're having technical difficulties and the Tempest Angel hasn't received the notice for her match! Everyone, let's make some noise for her arrival! Let me hear you say 'yeah!'"

"Yeah!" Everyone yells.

•○●○•

Aizawa brazenly opens the door to Hotaru's assigned waiting room. At first, nothing greets him. He doesn't see any of her belongings or her. It's almost as if this room hasn't been used at all. Just as he starts to turn to search elsewhere, he catches sight of her.

"What are you doing? You were supposed to be on stage five minutes ago."

He glares down at Hotaru who's sitting in the darkest corner of the waiting room. She doesn't respond to him and continues to scroll through her phone. His eyelid twitches and he tramples over to her. He snatches the phone from her, freezing when he catches sight of all the gruesome messages on screen. Did she read through all of these? The answer is obvious.

She's sitting on the cold ground, tears streaming down her face. Her silver eyes that always shine are vacant. There's no life in them. She snivels and brings her knees to her chest, hugging them close and ducking her head to shield her face.

The vibrating of her phone in his bandaged hand makes him look down at it. More messages are pouring in and even more disgusting than before. Death threats. Slanderous name calling. Words that tell her that her dream is hopeless. Words that tell her to think of them whenever she hurts her opponent. Words that tell her to kill her opponent, _Shoto Todoroki_.

Aizawa's teeth grit. They've been sending her messages like this all day. It even looks like she talked on the phone with them. What disgusting parents she has. He shuts her phone off before putting it in his pocket, having no intention of giving it back to her. He takes steps closer to her and she shrinks back against the wall.

"Aihara," He lowers himself onto the ground, sitting cross-legged in front of her. She buries her face in her hands. "You can't let them win."

"I know that." She snivels out, her fingers knotting into her hair. "W-Why do you think I'm in here and not out there? I can't fight Todoroki. If I do, I'll just be doing what they want. I don't want to be a slave to them anymore. Unless," She lets out a dry laugh. "Is this wrong too?"

Her hands fall away from her face as if she has lost all strength. Blotchy tears stick to her lashes as she looks at him, her lips curving upwards despite the raw sorrow etched in her voice. She laughs some more, the muscles in her chin trembling.

"Figures. Nothing I do is right. E-Everything I do whether it's good or bad, it's wrong. My existence is wrong. The most right thing I did today was get my ass beat by Shiozaki-san. Those stupid Heroes really enjoyed that. T-They booed me before even giving me a chance! What am I supposed to do, if nothing I do is right? D-Die? Is that the only thing that'll bring them satisfaction? Should I just go jump off of a bridge? Watch that be wrong too."

"Are you done?" Aizawa asks when her sniveling rant ends so she can catch her breath. She shakes her head.

"I'm trying, S-Sensei. I'm trying so hard, but it's pointless. Everyone sees me as a villain. I'm tired. I'm really, really, _really_ , tired." She buries her face in her hands once again. A few seconds of silence hover after that before she whispers. "...and Shoto Todoroki is an asshole."

Aizawa leans forward slightly, resting his bandaged arms in his lap with much difficulty. Her silence makes it clear that she's now gotten everything off of her chest. She has every right to be frustrated and somber as she is now. The girl can't catch a break. Just the fact that she made it this far at all is impressive.

"You call this winning?" He questions, resulting in her throwing him a heated glare.

"What the hell am I supposed to do, then?! You tell me!" She all but screams at him.

"Forget about them."

Shock registers on her face. She freezes all over at the solemn glint in his dark eyes. At a slow pace, her hands fall away from her face as sweat forms on her temple.

"Forget?" She repeats, and he nods.

"The only wrong thing you've done today was let the words and thoughts of others limit your capability. You need to realize that it isn't possible to please everybody. No matter what you do, there's going to be people out there who disagree with you." He begins, and her lower lip trembles.

"But—"

"Listen, problem-child." He cuts her off, and she snivels. "Forget about the Heroes in the audience. The real Pros are watching behind the scenes, and I can guarantee they are far more perceptive than the ones sitting in this stadium." He utters, and her eyes widen. "Forget about your disgusting parents, too. Looking at those messages, I now understand why you imitated them, but…" He lets out a heavy sigh and glares at her with a popping vein. "Do you have a screw loose or something? Seriously, what's wrong with you?"

He reaches out and bonks her on top of the head. It was a lazy and painless strike, and her shoulders quake when she lets out an enheartened laugh. She turns her head away from him to hide her sudden smile he brought about. Aizawa's glare softens into something more placid.

"What your parents want doesn't matter." He continues. "The same goes for everyone else. For once, Aihara," The use of her name makes her look back at him. "Why don't you do what you want?"

Her eyes widen a notch at that. Do what she wants? Easily sensing her internal turmoil and bewilderment, he starts speaking again.

"You always place others before yourself in everything you do, and you're easily influenced by those around you." He explains. "That's what I mean when I say to forget everyone else. Act solely for yourself and chase your own dream."

Just this morning, Daichi said something similar to her. She finds herself experiencing déja vu. To forget her parents and the Heroes in the audience is easier said than done. Regardless of that, it would be nice if she could forget. To forget them all and focus on herself leads to another problem, though. Her lips press together firmly.

"As for Todoroki," Aizawa begins carefully. "It's clear you both have some pent-up frustrations towards one another. Personally, I think this fight will be good for you both to release whatever hard feelings you have. Keep in mind, this will be the only chance you'll get to fight it out with no consequences."

"...But," Hotaru swallows thickly, lowering her head slightly. "What if it's not just anger I'm feeling?"

"What else are you feeling?"

"Regret."

"Then, forget Todoroki too." He easily answers, and her jaw drops. "Instead, focus on your dream. You want to be a hero, don't you?"

"Yes." She answers instantly.

"That's all there is to it, then. You showed the world Two Face and Lightning Beast in your previous matches. Now, show them Hotaru Aihara." His eyelids lower. "Whatever you choose to fight for, whether you fight or not, that's something only you can decide."

Just like that, it feels like the whole weight of the world is on her shoulders even though it's just her own innermost demons. What should she do? She hardly has any time at all to decide. However, _one thing is for certain._

"Sensei…" She whispers, biting down on her lower lip.

•○●○•

"I told you she wouldn't be able to handle the pressure." Rai chuckles, gulping down the rest of his wine. The Sports Festival is now taking an unexpected commercial break because of the missing Hotaru. "It ends here for her. This is as far as she gets. She showed the world the villain she is by imitating us, and now she's dropping out with nothing to gain. Her own plan backfired."

"This is hilarious." Cierra leans from side to side, alcohol taking its toll. "She thinks she's winning but this is what we want her to do. Haha~! She's too easy to manipulate! Too bad for you, Taru~!"

Rai reaches for the remote with a content smile. _Hotaru's hero journey ends here_. She thinks she's fighting back against them by not going against Endeavor's brat, but little does she know that's exactly what they want her to do. Her absence will make the Heroes view her as not only a villain, _but also a coward—_

"There's the Tempest Angel!" Present Mic exclaims with a relieved smile. The audience cheers powerfully, and Endeavor's eyes widen. "Class A's Hotaru Aihara!"

"What?!" Cierra shrieks, and the remote drops from Rai's hands.

Hotaru steps out of the dark tunnel and into the open. The warm sun rays kiss her skin, and she pauses just to soak it in. Her silver eyes, inflamed from the countless tears she shed, stare up at the cloudless blue sky. The sudden breeze weaves through her wavy strands of hair. She looks over her shoulder.

Aizawa is leaning against the wall. He walked her here upon her request. She faces him with a small smile. The wind picks up and hoists blades of grass into the air. They circle around her as she bows respectfully to Aizawa. She continues towards the stage, and afterwards the bandages covering his mouth conceal the brief upward curve of his lips.

Shoto can't help letting out a relieved breath at her presence. Still, there's no denying he feels some irritation. It's no secret that she had every intention of dropping out. He watches as she walks up the short flight of stairs and onto the stage. Her eyes that were downcast meet his as she takes her place.

Her poise makes his brain falter. His thoughts fade instead of coming to a stop. From her stance and stare, everything about her is aspiring and serene. A sense of familiarity consumes him. Standing before him is the Hotaru Aihara he knew her as.

She inhales deeply and holds that breath for a few seconds. Once she releases, it's like she's no longer looking at him. He may as well be an unseeable ghost. She's gazing at something beyond him, something he and nobody else can see.

"Alright! Let's get this party started!" Present Mic shouts in excitement. "Ready, and…!"

Shoto knees bend slightly as he gets ready. His number one goal right now is to land a hit on her. After that, he'll respond to her declaration of war that she announced before this whole sports festival even began. His emotions, his desires, _he's going to unleash it all_.

Hotaru remains in a relaxed stance, standing in a way she would in front of the pond in her beloved park. She blocks out the sound of the audience and focuses on the wispy breeze, _free and at ease_. Her frustrations and regrets, the voices that haunt her, everything is going to expire in a short while.

Holding back isn't an option. She has a dream to chase, _and a friend she needs to make amends with._ That one thing for certain is the very fact that she can't forget him, _Shoto Todoroki_. This is all she wants. If she can help herself by being here and help him second-handedly, this is the best option. But, _she's putting herself first_.

Her lashes brush against her cheeks when she shuts her eyes. Ever so slightly her lips curve upwards and her hand moves over her chest. Daichi, Aizawa-sensei, All Might, Nezu, Mineta, _every single one of her dear friends in Class A…_

"Thank you." She whispers just as Present Mic yells.

"Start!"

The warmth of the sun fades away as a biting cold takes its place. A shadow falls over her and a frigid gale bombards her. A colossal wave of crystallizing ice rushes towards her, like a violent wave of an ocean amidst a storm. The high-pitched crackling and musical chimes of his forming ice fills her ears. Her eyes open to see peaked shards a mere few inches away from her face, _his Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall._

She reaches towards it, extending her fingers as far as she possibly can. The ice seizes her fingertips then shoots up her arm. The fierce crystal proceeds to ensnare her entirely, covering her head and body. It nips at her flesh and doesn't let up. The wave is relentless and prolonged, hiding her away from everyone's sight, _only for a moment._

The ample ice crystals suddenly glow brightly. Sparks spread across its sleek surface. Without warning, boisterous thunder sounds out and causes everyone's ears to ring. Heat clashes against cold and the ice deflates like a balloon. Dense clouds of steam rise into the air and the word darkens in a flash.

"What's going on?! I can't see!" Present Mic squishes his face against the window of the commentary room. A droplet of water splats onto the glass followed by another, causing him to make a confused face. He redirects his gaze skywards and gawks.

A dark and towering cloud hovers over the stadium. Streaks of serpentine lighting flare from within it. Cold raindrops fall from the sky one by one, delicate and rhythmical. Puddles form and ripples embellish them with a splash. A low rumble of thunder resonates. Everyone's breath is stolen away.

"They…" Aizawa whispers to himself, awestruck as he stares at the sky.

"...Changed the weather." Endeavor quietly finishes.

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Hotaru Aihara

❤•○●○•❤

Raindrops slither down his flesh and her breath tickles his bare chest. The sun peeks through the breaking away storm clouds, and the puddles scattered across the ground mirror the sightly sky that's so profound. Her words have rendered him speechless and in a daze. They replay over and over in his head like a broken record. His eyes shut.

"Stupid," Shoto whispers, taking her into his arms.


	28. Hotaru Aihara

•○●○•

 **wow, i wasn't expecting so many reviews and DMs.**

(´ ω ` ) ❤

 **i'm incredibly thankful, and so very happy that so many are enjoying this story. i'm so grateful to be able to share my writing with you all! it's my most favorite thing to do!**

 **unfortunately if i respond to you all right here, this author's note will so insanely long! perhaps i'll start replying via DM! and even more unfortunately, i'm uploading this chapter between my many assignments so i don't have any time to spare. my professors are giving 5x more assignments than they did in person... it's frustrating, ahh. trying not to stress too much and go with the flow.** **i don't want to keep you guys waiting any longer, though! i'm already a bit late, aha.**

 **but, i read all of your reviews and they all made me happy! i notice you all, even those of you who aren't enjoying this story as much as others, i'm thankful you have taken the time to read, review, etc. ❤ i love hearing everyone's thoughts and take them all into consideration!**

 **i'm staying safe and healthy, and being extra careful when i have to venture outside for essential things. i hope you all are, too. ❤ the weather is warming up, the flowering trees look so pretty, and a wasp already tried to kill me** (ノ_＜。)

 **anyways, i hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

 **take care of yourselves.**

•○●○•

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Hotaru Aihara

❤•○●○•❤

It's a quenching rain that makes the temperature drop. It's a grand rain that washes away impurities. It plunges from the overcast sky. Each drop reflects the world like a mirror, and each one from a different perspective. The watery globes soak into her attire and slip down her dark strands of hair. They drip onto the ground, coating her lashes as she stares at the sky.

They created an updraft. They created a storm— _his cold and her heat_. Lightning decorates the sky and the rain comes down with more force. A gust of wind blows and she lowers her hand that was extended. This extraordinary occurrence makes her feel like she's trapped in a reverie.

Just like Hotaru, Shoto didn't think something like this was possible. It's surreal. They created this. This storm is theirs. A perfectly blue sky morphed into one of numerous silver hues in a matter of seconds. He turns his attention away from the sky to gaze into a silver brighter than any above.

She's looking right at him with a rather deliberate expression. Her hair is already soaked and sticking to her face. Her lips twitch upwards suddenly, and her eyes narrow with a frisky glint. Clasping her hands together behind her back, she takes a step forward. That's the only step she takes.

Instantly, he becomes guarded. He shifts into a defensive stance with his right side angled towards her. How her hands that can hurl lightning strikes are behind her is just as alarming as her impish stare. She's planning something and he needs to be ready to counter whatever that is, _if only he could_.

That single step she took placed her foot in one of the many growing puddles strewn about. She glances down at the puddle, making it ripple by dragging her foot through it. That simple action was a hint, and it makes his breath hitch.

Lightning generates from her foot, expanding across the ground coated with water and into the puddle he's standing in. It happens in an instant and more quickly than he can discern. A scorching pain engulfs him as her lightning flows into him. His muscles contract and his teeth grit. In that moment, she closes in on him.

She runs towards him with swift moments, making the water beneath her feet spatter. Like a flash, she's before him. Twisting her body and raising her leg, she rams her sparking foot into his side and sends him flying aside. He gasps in pain, grunting when he slams into his sloppily created wall of ice to prevent him from crossing the boundary line.

The moment he looks up, a lightning strike is launching towards him. He creates a shield of ice to block it in the nick of time, and just when he catches sight of something bright from the outer corner of his eye. She's right there. _She's fast_. Already, she closed the gap she created.

Her sparking hand reaches towards him and he acts immediately. Glacial crystals spring from the ground beneath his right foot, ceasing her arm. The heat she's generating is already melting it, but it holds her captive long enough for him to get away from the boundary line and maneuver behind her.

Just like that, the tables have turned and now she's the one closest to the edge. She looks over her shoulder to see his icy fist rapidly approaching her, unrelenting and determined. How unfortunate for him. It almost feels like she's about to steal candy from a toddler.

Lightning discharges from every inch of her body, thawing the ice around her arm and stopping Shoto's movements with a shock. A misty steam surges and she reaches towards him again. Her fingertips are a mere centimeters away from his face.

A sense of panic swells within him. Her speed is overwhelming along with her attacks. The way she's moving is much different than her previous matches. As of right now it's a one-sided battle. She's leaving him with no time to think or do anything. Like in the clouds above him, she's the lightning while he's just the frozen raindrops inciting her.

He's on the path of losing and that doesn't sit well in his stomach. It frustrates him, especially how quickly she took control once again. He needs to put some distance between them, because if he doesn't, surely her impending touch will end things right here and now. That can't happen. Despite his frustration, he can't help feeling a bit fulfilled at what just transpired.

Hotaru lets out a silent gasp of surprise when he withdraws his fist. He uses his ice to propel himself backwards to the center of the stage and out of her reach. She blinks a few times in bewilderment. Thunder rumbles over their heads as she faces him.

"Running…?" She whispers beneath her breath, her voice getting lost amidst the downpour. The expression he wears makes her head tilt. "And… conceited? Why?"

The last bit of her words was spoken loud enough so it can just barely be picked up by his ears. She begins taking steps closer to him, her hand raising to take aim at him with her fingers.

"Just now," Shoto states. "I landed a hit."

The bet they made comes rushing back at her. She completely forgot about it. She lowers her hand slightly and stares at her arm. After that, she looks over her shoulder and at the melting ice that once held it captive. Does he mean that? She turns her attention back over to him with a small smile.

"That wasn't a hit. It was a Quirk."

"You didn't specify what kind of hit." He argues, and her shoulders quake as she lets out a short laugh.

"Fair enough. I guess I'll let that third-rank attack count." She brushes her soaked hair back, coming to a stop a few feet away from him. "It's disappointing, though. I've landed a genuine hit on you, but you can't land a single one on me."

His face scrunches up in annoyance at her words. A droplet of rain glides down his forehead and down the bridge of his nose. It's cold. He lets out a breath that escapes in a clouded puff. She's talking as if it's so simple to land a hit. Even though it's not simple, _it's possible_. He just needs to plan carefully.

Hotaru draws in a breath and lowers her eyelids briefly. The sky brightens with a flash the moment their eyes meet once more. This is it. The air that's filled with moisture contorts.

"Aihara-san." Shoto starts, a flicker of red shimmering from his left. "This is my revenge."

"Right." She whispers, a jagged blue materializing around her form. "And, this is my remedy, Todoroki-san."

For a fleeting moment, time slows. Raindrops sparkle with reds and blues, a few lingering near them vaporizing into nothing. The atmosphere holds the weight of their languishing emotions. Anger and remorse, sadness and fear, together with obscure emotions yet to be perceived. Holding back and hesitation, that's no longer part of their vocabulary.

"Hey, hey, hey…" Kirishima sweat-drops, feeling edgy. "What's with this tension?"

"They look like…" Yaoyorozu whispers to herself in unease. "...Completely different people."

Hotaru slides her foot forward and Shoto's eyes narrow. She lowers herself just enough so her fingertips brush against the ground. Static embellishes her and she takes off into a quick sprint. For each step she takes, her sparks spread across the watery ground. Before those sparks can touch him, Shoto rises off of the ground with his ice, surfing towards her.

Her lips purse. Well, it's true that she can't shock him through the water if he's no longer standing in it. He's smart, she'll give him that. However, it isn't enough. The current terrain is ideal for her to let loose all of her tricks. This rainwater is full of ions. She may as well be on her favorite playground.

"W-Wow!" Present Mic suddenly yells, sounding as if he just escaped from a daze. The audience is in the same stunned state. "The ground is covered in electricity! And Todoroki is evading it with a wall of ice!"

Shoto's teeth grit. She's generating lightning across the ground as he circles around. He curses beneath his breath. If he touches the ground, he'll be shocked. Not only that, her lightning is melting his ice. This is bad. _What can he—?_

"Running again? That's so unlike you."

He looks over with a gasp, seeing Hotaru skating across the ground alongside him with her lightning. That's new. He's never seen her do this before. How many more tricks has she been hiding up her sleeve?

She extends her hand suddenly and shoots lightning at the ice beneath his feet. His polar shards shatter and he tumbles downwards. The electrified ground is approaching quickly, but she approaches him even quicker.

Her knee rams into his stomach. The force behind it makes him gag, and the lightning that discharged from it makes him blinded with pain. Amidst his pain, she jumps and nails him with a spinning kick that sends him flying backwards.

He barely manages to create a barrier of ice that catches him not so gently. Cracks form in its structure and his nostrils flare angrily as he over up at her. She's closing in on him again. The ice that's nestling him is melting, _but not from her lightning_.

A flicker of red ignites before it grows into something more blazing. Like a volcano erupting, red spurts outwards along with a scorching heat. Hotaru's eyes widen and she jumps backwards quickly, wincing when her skin is mildly seared.

"There it is!" Present Mic yells, and the audience cheers. "The flames are back!"

"Shotoooo!" Endeavor roars with a grin.

Once Hotaru's feet touch the ground, she stares ahead and into the massive flames. They cloak Shoto's entire form before gradually dying down. The ground surrounding him has dehydrated from the sudden heat, and the entire left side of his torso is exposed. His jacket and undershirt have withered away.

Her jaw locks. She knew his flames would appear sooner or later. Those flames are his trump card in this fight. Things aren't so one-sided anymore. In fact, this is about to get extremely difficult.

Even though she's put some distance between them, she can still feel the incredible heat. It feels as if she's right by it— _wait._ Another source of red makes her look over. Her sleeve is on fire. She quickly discards her jacket and tosses it aside. It lands in a puddle and the flames diminish.

Shoto breaths are heavy as he stares her down. He's covered in scratches and bruises. She really roughed him up whereas she's unscratched. Even though some of his fire touched her, the only detectable damage is the burning of her jacket. She has a natural resistance for heat, _but only for so long_. Now, it's his turn.

He throws his arm forward, spiraling flames propelling towards her. The heated red illuminates the stadium, reflecting in her silver orbs as they grow near. Any falling droplets in its path evaporate. Hotaru acts quickly.

She maneuvers out of the fiery path and raises her hand, shooting lightning in his direction. Thunder claps loudly and before the strike hits, ice bursts from the ground and stops it in its tracks. Hotaru lowers her hand with a huff. Yes, _things are definitely getting difficult_.

Shoto begins running towards her, his flames still flickering. His eyes are focused and waiting for the opportune moment. There's one thing he's waiting for her to do. Once she does that, she'll fall into his trap.

Hotaru takes a backwards step, her teeth baring slightly. She can't let him get close. The heat from his flames is essentially doubling the heat her lightning already generates. Whether it's forcing him back or falling back herself, she needs to keep him away.

She can't shock him through the terrain anymore, and he can utilize both his ice and fire simultaneously. The cold rain isn't as effective anymore when it comes to keeping her body temperature low. If she shoots lightning head on, he'll block it with his ice. She needs to move over to his left. She generates lightning at the soles of her feet and begins skating across the saturated portion of the stage.

 _That's what he was waiting for._

Shoto's flames abruptly grow in size. The temperature rises and the water on the ground evaporates. Her conductor is gone instantly and the sudden change in her terrain makes her stumble on her feet. His flames diminish and ice bombards towards her. Her eyes widen in panic and she tries jumping back. She doesn't jump far enough.

His ice captures her foot and she falls backwards onto her bottom with a yelp. She pulls her foot loose by abandoning her shoe. When she starts to sit up, she notices Shoto's icy fist soaring towards her. She rolls out of the way and hops onto her feet. He grabs her arm despite the blue sparks coating her.

"W-What…?!" She bites out when she's yanked forward with great force.

The bruising grip he has on her arm tightens, and his arm snakes around her midsection. His fingers grip at her waist and he turns. He strategically offsets her balance and pulls. Suddenly, her feet are no longer on the ground. She's flung over his shoulder and thrown ruthlessly onto the ground.

Upon impact, the air is knocked from her lungs. His knee presses against her back and he twists her arm that is still within his grasp. Her teeth gnash together to block out a pathetic whimper. _That bastard._ Is he seriously trying to break her arm?

"I figured it out." He suddenly speaks, making her freeze. "I thought it was weird that you were constantly generating lightning since you'd do yourself in. But, you were using the terrain this whole time. There was no need for you to use your own body as a conductor. So, I didn't need to worry about getting shocked upon touching you."

"So, you know some Jujitsu—" She begins to say, ignoring his words until he twists her arm further. Tears threaten to spill. "S-Shit...!"

He's smarter than she thought. What he's implying is that she's not accomplishing this speed of hers how she normally would on a terrain that doesn't conduct electricity. However, she is still channeling lightning within her, but it's a low voltage that won't harm her as quickly, also a bluff that merely makes it appear that touching her will be lethal.

"Todoroki has Aihara restrained!" Present Mic screams hysterically along with the audience.

"A-Alright, so you figured me out." Hotaru begins again through the pain. "But, I figured you out too." She turns her head slightly, gazing up at him from over her shoulder. His fire is still flickering and it's not just rainwater gliding down his face. "Your flames, you can't control them quite well, can you? Not only that..."

Her leg bends and hooks around his. She twists expeditiously, and suddenly, she's the one on top of him. He blinks in surprise at that catlike move. Her face is over his, and her hands are holding both of his down above his head. Their legs are tangled together. A smirk graces her features and Mineta's distant whine of jealousy sounds out.

"You underestimate me." She states, and the audience roars.

"Aihara turns the tables!" Present Mic yells. However, his yell slowly dies down when Shoto pries his hands from her grip easily. "Huh?!"

Heat builds up in Hotaru's cheeks which results in them turning a bright pink. Her grip strength admittedly still isn't very impressive. Shoto's lips twitch upwards in amusement and he raises his left hand toward her face. She finds herself staring at his flaming palm.

"What's there to underestimate?" He questions, his tone more airy than before.

"Lots of things." She answers, her eyes glowing cyan as they glare. "Go ahead and try to fry me. Just know that I'll fry you up first."

"I doubt that."

"Really? Let's find out then."

Hotaru grins viciously while Shoto's teeth gnash together. Flames and sparks flare up relentlessly. The intense brightness makes everyone squint while the heat makes them shrink back. Fog hovers near the ground as any water coating it vaporizes.

His flames consume her and her sparks stun him. The heat is eating away at them both. Her lightning is definitely hotter than his fire. Unfortunately for her though, he has a way to counter the heat. That's why Hotaru finds herself caving first.

Despite the fact that moving his body is near impossible, he's still able to utilize his Quirk. With much difficulty, he utilizes his right. Ice bursts from the ground and rams into her, taking the place of his fire.

She cries out when she's sent backwards, her white shirt now seared and ripped. Sweat mixes with the rainwater drenching her. As she falls, she stares up at the stormy sky. The clouds are dwindling, _just like her._ He beat her at her own game.

Her body's slowing down and approaching its limit. She was genuinely trying to finish Shoto off, _but he's just too strong_. His flames are hot. On top of that, he can regulate his body temperature by using his right which makes it especially hard for her to knock him unconscious. He's using his ice to cool himself down right now.

Ice comes charging at her again and she shoots a sloppy strike at it to counter. She wobbles on her feet and her vision blurs in and out. She can just barely make out Shoto's approaching form. This isn't good. She can't let some stupid limit get the better of her. Right now, she's going to push herself beyond it.

 _Plus Ultra._

Her form grows brightly when she generates lightning through her muscles. She ducks under Shoto's fist. Surprise crosses his features. She's panting and her complexion is growing pale despite her feverish cheeks. It's obvious she's at her limit. Then again, _so is he_.

His head is spinning as the heat from her lightning still tortures him. He can feel the bruises she gave him. Although he's using his ice, his exhaustion is hindering their capability. Even if he wasn't tired, he drove his body temperature up too high to cool down quickly. His flames were supposed to finish her off, but she's still hanging on. She tries to punch him but he scarcely evades it. Her face twists in frustration.

"Looks like I won." He says, referring to their "frying" game.

Hotaru's eyes widen at their sudden close proximity, and gags when he lands a solid hit in her abdomen. She staggers backwards and wraps her arms around her midsection, crying out when his ice slams into her for what feels like the hundredth time.

Her body crashes onto the damp and hard ground. Tiny stars whirl across her vision and she gasps desperately for breath. Her teeth grind together when she rolls onto her hands and knees. More slowly than she would like, she rises onto her feet.

She's weakening quickly. It almost feels too quick. However, it makes sense. She just got done receiving a face full of fire and she's been using her Quirk all day long. A month ago, she couldn't even have dreamed of lasting as long as she has. She looks over.

Shoto's standing before her. Frigid crystals are forming in his palm, the coldness of it contrasting with the warm air and causing steam to rise. He's not moving to attack, _merely waiting for her to drop_. She's not the only one who looks like they are about to drop. He's in the same exhausted condition. She sighs heavily.

As if she's going to let herself pass out pathetically like this. If she's going to pass out, she's going to do it in a striking way. She's going to make sure everyone watching knows her name. She's going to engrave her existence into everyone's memory. If she's going down, _she's taking him down with her_.

"What are you doing…?" She breathes out. "I'm not done yet. In fact," The temperature rises and she gradually smirks. "I'm far from it."

Her hand raises towards the dark sky. The ground beneath her feet cracks and lightning gathers into her palm. Blue sparks coil around her like a snake. Loud thunder roars. The sudden pressure makes the stadium feel like it's shaking. That familiar stance makes Shoto's jaw lock.

 _She's going to use her billion-volt strike._

She lowers her hand and takes aim at him, her fingers perfectly mimicking a gun. If she's going to use her most powerful attack, he has no choice but to use his as well. He just hopes he can hold out. Losing to her isn't an option. He stares at her for a single second before releasing both his ice and flames. The air around them surges and Present Mic screams.

"These guys are crazy!"

Crazy doesn't do justice in describing them. They are both fervently stubborn. They are impassioned to the point they may be insane, brimming with countless emotions. However, little by little, those emotions are pouring out.

"Shoto," Hotaru begins with a smile. "Don't let this kill you. If you die, I'll cry."

Shoto can't help shaking his head lightly. His lips curve upwards and his mismatched eyes seem to shine. It makes her feel even more breathless than she currently is. Finally, he's smiling genuinely, _and that smile is for her_.

"Since when were you the cry baby?" He asks, and she shrugs.

"Since when were you the tough one? Seriously," She laughs a bit, her eyelids lowering. "You must've stolen all my fortitude away."

"Taru."

"Hm?" She hums tiredly, cracking her eyes open to stare at him through the chaos.

"You're amazing."

Her sparks dwindle slightly in her astonished state. There's a jolt in her chest and her silver orbs soften like the clouds are beginning to overhead. Her smile grows in size, showing her pearly teeth as her sparks flare up much stronger than before.

"I know." She beams joyously before all hell breaks loose.

A large wave of ice crystals shoots towards her along with extensive flames. She releases her vigorous strike. The moment their attacks collide, a violent wind breaks out along with a deafening blast.

Debris catapults in all directions, and Midnight is blown off of her platform. Everyone brings their hands up to shield their face and ducks to dodge falling pebbles. The stage is covered in dense dust and hidden from sight. When the dust fades, everyone gasps and Endeavor freezes.

Both Hotaru and Shoto are on the ground. Before Shoto was blown out of bounds, he caught himself with his ice which could be considered just a stroke of luck. Hotaru is near the boundary line of the opposite side of the stage, although it appears a chunk of the stage acted as a wall and saved her from falling off—another run of luck. They both are motionless, covered in scratches and bruises, their clothing tattered and scorched.

Midnight slowly stands up, rubbing the back of her head with a wince. She looks between the two motionless contestants. After that powerful attack, it's only natural they would fall unconscious like this. She's happy to end this fight. Even though she wasn't fighting herself she's exhausted. She raises her hand to call for a draw until she catches sight of movement.

Hotaru's fingers twitch, and her silver eyes crack open the tiniest bit. With an inaudible whimper, she pushes herself off of the concrete block. Her body is on fire and her muscles are cramping. By some miracle, she manages to stand up onto her unsteady feet. The audience cheers loudly and the heel of her hand presses against her throbbing head. She squints ahead and curses.

"...Y-You gotta be kidding me." She gurgles out as Shoto begins to stand.

He rises onto his feet slowly with obvious pain. His whole shirt has been burnt away, while hers is still halfway intact and showing parts of her sports bra. A soft drizzle from above falls down onto them as they stare at each other through their labored breaths.

Hotaru hunches forward slightly as she lets out a frail sigh. So, that's how it is. This is as far as she can go. But, _she's satisfied_. She straightens up with a tiny smile. A slither of blue makes her look up and leads her to a beautiful sight.

Stretched across the sky and over the stadium is a vivid rainbow. Never has she seen one so clear. The gently falling rain makes it sparkle. Her eyes then fall back down to take in her surroundings. They completely wrecked the stage and so many awestruck eyes are on her. She turns to Shoto with a smile still on her face

"Congratulations, Shoto." She speaks softly. "This is all because of you."

Confusion washes over him, and he's too short of breath to speak. What does she mean that this is all because of him? The destruction around them and the dying storm above wouldn't have been possible without her.

"What are you saying?" He forces out.

"This is all because of you." She repeats. "Your requests… is it okay if I fulfill one of them now?"

He continues to stare at her with a confused expression. She starts taking small and teetering steps towards him. She's halfway to him when she pauses and grits her teeth in pain. Her hands fall onto her knees as she bends over, her head ducking. The world of unconsciousness is trying to swallow her whole. She doesn't let it. _Not yet_.

Her head snaps back up, and the remainder of Shoto's breath is stolen away. Tears fill her eyes and stick to her dark lashes. Using the very last bit of her energy, she runs towards him with a pleasant smile. She jumps into him and he staggers backwards at her forceful embrace. _What is she—?_

"Thank you." She whispers against him, holding onto him tightly. All he can do is stare down at her wide-eyed. "Thank you for talking to me back then. Thank you for being my very first friend. You showed me an entirely different world, a world that I didn't think I could ever be a part of. That's what I mean when I say this is all because of you."

"Taru…?" Shoto utters, taken aback. She peeks up at him with happy tears staining her cheeks.

"I'm here because of you!" She grins from ear to ear. "You helped me decide who I want to become. Those words you spoke to me, this dream of mine, it's all because I met you. You saved me. Sho," She leans into him with a happy laugh. "You're my hero!"

Raindrops slither down his flesh and her breath tickles his bare chest. The sun peeks through the breaking away storm clouds, and the puddles scattered across the ground mirror the sightly sky that's so profound. Her words have rendered him speechless and in a daze. They replay over and over in his head like a broken record. His eyes shut.

"Stupid," Shoto whispers, taking her into his arms. Her grip around his midsection starts to weaken as she starts to slip away from consciousness. His hands press against her back and between her shoulder blades, strongly holding her against him. "You were the only hero back then."

"...W-Whatever you say..." She mumbles languidly, her eyelids lowering. "...Shoroki."

A ray of sunlight shines onto them and the rain comes to a halt. Her legs go limp as her body shuts down. He carefully lowers her onto the ground, sitting himself next to her when staying upright is suddenly far too difficult. It turns out he was awfully wrong. Her thank you—he didn't expect it to be that extensive and associate with those distant days. A tender feeling engulfs him. She's hopeless.

"So much youth!" Midnight squeals loudly, her cheeks a bright pink and sentimental tears in her eyes. Hearts swirl around her form as she slashes her whip with a dramatic twirl. "Aihara is out of commission! Todoroki advances to the finals!"

The audience stares silently with agape mouths. From beginning to end, this match wasn't like anything they predicted. It was fierce and capable of tugging at their heartstrings, a performance just as much as it was a fight. That girl, _what's her name again?_

"Hotaru Aihara!" Present Mic yells, and everyone erupts in applause, her name being repeated like a song alongside Shoto's.

"Well done." Aizawa commends in a low tone, moving to clap his hands only to remember that he can't. He walks off with a scowl.

Endeavor stares down at those two with shrunken irises and slackened jaw. It was an extraordinary battle. Although Shoto won, he can't bring himself to feel excitement. That peaceful expression on his face is something he's never seen before. His narrowing turquoise eyes zone in on the unconscious girl.

"Hotaru Aihara…" The Flame Hero whispers to himself, his lips firmly pressing together. While he says her name aloud, somewhere in the slums of Japan,

 _A TV explodes with the sound of thunder._

•○●○•

Shoto wonders where it all began. Until he fought Midoriya, he didn't even think of thinking back to the day his mother was driven mentally ill. He didn't think about how she dumped that boiling water on his face. The hatred he harbored made him blind to such things. It's like she no longer existed. He had forgotten all the good things. He hasn't seen her in so long, and suddenly he's yearning to visit her. Would she be happy to see him, or disgusted?

He also wonders when he began to miss Hotaru. Was it when they spent the evening carrying out their detention together? Was it even earlier than that? Her words are still fresh in his mind. Even though she's far away from him now, he can still feel her embrace. He stares at his hand, curling his fingers into a fist.

She wanted to say that thank you for a long while, but he made doing so difficult. Did she say it after the battle because she didn't think she would get another chance to do so? That reminds him, she hasn't forgiven him yet. He hasn't apologized to his mother yet, either. There are many things he wants and needs to say to them, but he's hesitant.

The door to his waiting room is slammed open, making him look over. Bakugo is standing there with a confounded expression. He blinks a few times.

"Huh?" He drags out, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Hey, why are _you_ here? It's waiting room..." He trails off, catching sight of the sign. "...Oh. This is room two? Damn it!"

Shoto looks away from him, figuring Bakugo will leave after his blunder. That only serves to make him more irritated than before. Just as Shoto begins to contemplate how to truly make amends to his friend and mother, Bakugo comes stomping in.

"I may have gotten the room wrong, but what's with that attitude against your opponent in the final?! Hey, hey, hey…!" Bakugo slams his exploding fist onto the table. "Where are you looking, Half-and-Half Bastard?!"

Startled, at his words rather than actions, Shoto stares off into space with wide eyes. Midoriya said the exact same thing to him. _Where is he looking?_ If he's being honest, he's not even sure anymore. His original goal to prove his old man wrong is gone. Now, he's wallowing in his own feelings and regrets.

"That's…" Shoto begins quietly.

"Huh?" Bakugo makes a wry face.

"...what Midoriya told me, too." Shoto finishes, raising his left hand in front of him. "That guy acted recklessly and came to destroy all the problems I'd been carrying. You guys are childhood friends, right? Was Midoriya like that when you were young, too? Taru…" His eyelids lower slightly. "She did something similar when we were young, too."

Anger fills Bakugo at the mention of Midoriya, and it spreads quickly through his veins. The muscles in his arms tighten and bulge at his forming fists and his teeth gnash together. Why is that damn nerd so popular?

"Who cares about him?!" He growls, kicking the table over. Shoto's hands hover awkwardly where the table once was, and he stares at the now broken structure with his mouth forming the perfect "o" shape. "And who cares about that Lightning Bug Bastard?! Seriously, who the hell cares?!"

Something weighty fills the air just when Shoto began to think he has escaped this negativity. He slowly meets Bakugo's glaring eyes with his stunned ones. He's more raging than normal and it makes him on guard.

"Your family circumstances, your stupid friendship, and your feelings…" Bakugo murmurs piercingly, resulting in Shoto's jaw locking. "I don't care about that stuff! Just use the flames on your left on me, too! I will hold them down from above!"

Bakugo stomps out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Shoto stares after him only for a brief moment before redirecting his gaze to the ground with a sad glint in his eyes. Somehow, he's even more unsure than before. His mother and Hotaru, _and even his old man_. Their faces flash before him.

 _This uncertainty he feels results in his defeat in the finals._

•○●○•

"Why did you put your damn flames out?!"

"Calm down!"

"Hey, listen to Recovery Girl you jerk. Trying to beat up an unconscious person is beyond low. Oh man, I can't imagine how torturous it is to get first place. My condolences."

"Shut up, Lightning Bug! Move out of the damn way!"

Those are the voices Shoto hears when he stirs from his slumber. He was knocked unconscious during his final fight and his head is still pounding, the loud voices making it worse. His eyes slowly open to a chaotic scene.

Recovery Girl is desperately trying to calm Bakugo down, and it's proving to be futile. He's covered in bandages and seething, trying to advance towards him. He's more pissed than he was during their fight. The only thing stopping him from closing the gap is Hotaru who's standing in front of Shoto's bed. Shoto slowly sits up and that fuels Bakugo's anger.

"About time you woke up!" He growls, attempting to push past Hotaru. His hand comes down roughly onto her shoulder to move her aside. "What did I fucking tell you—?!"

"Lightning bug...?" Hotaru suddenly repeats, and a villainous aura fills the room.

Bakugo pauses and looks over at her, and Recovery Girl proceeds to call for help. Her silver eyes are shrunken and a shadow is over her face. Sparks flare around her and her own hand slams down onto Bakugo's shoulder. Shoto tries to fall back unconscious to escape this mess. To do that, lies back down and shuts his eyes.

"Don't call me that." She bites out.

"I'll call you whatever the hell I want." Bakugo sneers, satisfied with how he obviously struck a deep chord. "Now, move out of the way—!"

His livid voice is cut short when he's forced to draw back due to an abrupt jolt. _She shocked him._ He stares at her in disbelief before grinning viciously in challenge. Explosions emit from his palms and he begins stomping towards her.

"You wanna go?" He asserts, and Hotaru scoffs.

"It wouldn't be much of a fight."

"Huh?!"

There's a loud blast and Hotaru yelps. Shoto sits up once again due to the sudden rising of his mattress. Hotaru has fallen backwards onto it. She's dumbfounded and her lips are parted slightly as she comprehends what just happened. _That jerk blasted her._ Her arms are now covered in soot and scratches.

"Bakugo—" Shoto frowns deeply at him, and Hotaru lets out an atrocious laugh that overpowers his voice. It's like he's not even here right now. She moves, standing up on the bed and making a finger gun that's directed towards Bakugo.

"Do that again and I'll turn you into a pile of ashes." She says, glaring down at him.

"Aihara—" Shoto tries, reaching towards her angry form hesitantly.

"Bring it on…" Bakugo taunts with a smirk. "Lightning Bug."

"What are you waiting for…" Hotaru smirks herself. "Chain Chomp."

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" Bakugo roars with a popping vein, and Shoto quickly brings his hand over his mouth to muffle an amused sound. What is even happening right now?

The door slams open and Hotaru lowers her hand instantly. Bakugo isn't fazed by the interruption and kicks the bed which makes it jerk. She tumbles backwards with a squeak and crashes onto the ground.

"Taru!" Shoto instinctively moves to help her up.

He leans over the side of his bed and grabs onto her upper arm. With his help, she manages to sit up while her hand presses against her head that rattled upon falling.

"Are you alright?" He asks, and she avoids his eyes with a dejected frown. She doesn't answer him, and his brows furrow just as a loud howl sounds out.

"What is going on?!"

The two of them look ahead to see Hound Dog snarling in the doorway with Recovery Girl hovering behind him with a worried expression. Bakugo faces the dog-like man who's stomping towards him with a scowl.

"Who the hell are you—? Hey! Let go of me!" Bakugo yells when Hound Dog grabs onto him. A dust-cloud brawl instantly breaks out.

 _A giant one_.

Hotaru slowly rises onto her feet and takes backwards steps, and Shoto stands up and does the exact same thing to avoid any crossfire. They move so they are standing in the far back corner of the room, watching with agape mouths at the preposterous scene. Bakugo yells echo along with Hound Dog's barks. Aizawa appears in the doorway along with Tokoyami. They are staring at the scene speechlessly just like they are.

The brawl is over almost as quickly as it started. Once the cloud of dust clears, Hotaru brings her hand towards her mouth to bite down on her thumb, preventing a laugh from escaping. Bakugo is chained up and muzzled, living up to the nickname she just gave him. He squirms on the ground with muffled curses.

"A maniac…" Tokoyami mutters, giving Bakugo a startled glance.

Bakugo's eyes are glaring bitterly at Shoto, making him look down at his feet with an ashamed frown. He couldn't bring himself to use his flames like Bakugo wanted him to do. Before today, he hasn't thought so heavily about his past and the things that truly mattered.

These new feelings are hindering him. In order to truly move on and become the hero he wants to be, there are things he needs to set right. He needs to come to terms with himself, _and talk to them_.

"I guess the situation has been handled." Aizawa drowsily states as Hound Dog begins to drag Bakugo off. "Anyways, let's go. The Award Ceremony is about to start."

"Goodness…" Recovery Girl sighs, relieved that the Sports Festival is coming to an end.

Hotaru quickly moves away from Shoto, her hair flowing behind her at her fast movements. His mismatched eyes are naturally drawn to her. She makes a beeline towards Aizawa. Once she's near, she grabs onto his sleeve. Shoto follows behind them as they start walking down the hall.

"Aihara-san—" Shoto tries.

"Aizawa-sensei!" Hotaru suddenly speaks over him. "Did you know that there is a fish that can digest wood?"

"No. Now, let go of me."

"Nope~!"

Shoto stares at the back of Hotaru's head with raised brows. He knows he spoke loud enough for her to hear him, and what she said sounds like something she thought of from the top of her head. Realization dawns on him. _She's ignoring him_.

But _, why?_

•○●○•

Fireworks erupt and signal the start of the award ceremony. Bakugo thrashes around in a futile attempt to escape the chains shackling him, ferociously glaring at Shoto as he does. Shoto regretfully avoids his eyes and Tokoyami stares at the blonde, completely appalled. Hotaru's head nods and she sways slightly in her drowsy state from her spot next to Tokoyami. They both are standing atop the third-place podium.

A sudden wave of fatigue hit her due to not resting long enough after her fight thanks to Bakugo. She was sleeping peacefully and recovering from her injuries when he went on a crazy rampage.

The sun shines through her closed eyelids when their podiums rise into the open. The audience cheers excitedly, and confetti rains down. Her eyes crack open the tiniest bit and at a slow pace at Tokoyami's voice.

"He is like a man-eating fiend."

She looks over at Bakugo who's wiggling violently like a fish out of water. Just looking at him makes her annoyed. How he interrupted her sleep, tried to beat up an unconscious Shoto, refused to listen to Recover Girl, called her the nickname her father often calls her… how disgraceful. But, _look at him now_. Perhaps everything he did was worth it.

"Like Chain Chomp, right?" She asks, and Tokoyami nods. Bakugo's glaring eyes move to her.

Just as she starts to look away from him, her gaze involuntarily locks with Shoto's. She freezes from head to toe. Wistful eyes and a thoughtful frown as he stares right back at her. Quickly, she turns away from him while bringing her arms around herself. The tips of her ears turn a hot pink along with her face.

"Now, we will award the medals!" Midnight's voice sounds out. "The presentation of the medals will, of course, be by this man!"

On cue, All Might's laughter echoes. He appears at the very top of the stadium and the audience grows even more excited. He leaps, his form passing over the shining sun. Hotaru watches in awe as he spins and lands before them all in a way that's just as graceful as it is powerful. After that, she's suddenly wide awake. She can't stop herself from smiling, especially when he takes the medals from Midnight. He starts with Tokoyami.

"Young Tokoyami, congratulations." All Might grins, placing a bronze medal around his neck. "You sure are strong."

"You are too kind." Tokoyami straightens up. His eyes widen in surprise when All Might suddenly hugs him.

"However, in order to fight well against different types, you must not only rely on your Quirk." All Might advises kindly. "If you train your own strength more, then you'll have more options when you fight."

"Yes, sir." Tokoyami nods, holding up his medal in front of him.

As All Might moves to grab the other bronze medal, Hotaru's heart races in her rib-cage. _That's her medal_. Her hand moves over her chest. The last couple months flash before her. It took her awhile, _but she made it_.

She learned so much and grew so much. She abandoned and gained things. She made countless mistakes, but she worked really hard. It was the most challenging path and she couldn't have reached this milestone without the wonderful people she has met. This is only the beginning to something much greater. She can't wait to go even further.

 _The world around her has never shined brighter._

"Young Aihara." All Might beams, standing before her. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, All Might." Hotaru smiles brightly, lowering her head so he can bring her medal around her neck. He moves to hug her, but she beats him to it. She jumps into him happily and embraces him tightly. He lets out a laugh, giving her a squeeze.

"Be confident, Young Aihara." All Might begins. "Once you do that, there will be so many more things you can do. Look at where you're standing. Look at this medal you gained. If you feel yourself hitting up against your limit, remember for what cause you clench your fists. Remember why you started down this path, and let that memory carry you beyond your limit!"

Breathing is suddenly a mystery to her. They pull away from each other. Her glistening eyes are wide. Forming any words is hard. Her hands move to hold onto her polished medal. _Why she chose this path._ She glances at Shoto before staring back down at her medal, running her fingers over it.

"Right." She whispers.

"Young Todoroki," All Might moves over to Shoto next, a silver medal already in his hands. He puts it around Shoto's neck. "Congratulations. I assume there is a reason you did not use your left side in the final?"

"I had an opportunity during my match with Midoriya, but then I became unsure of myself. I think I understand a little of why you are interested in him." Shoto answers, staring at the ground. "During my match with Aihara, I started to become aware of the important things I've been neglecting, and even my mistakes."

Hotaru looks over at him with parted lips of surprise. A crease forms in her brow. He spares her a soft look before turning his attention back over to All Might with a resolved expression.

"I wanted to become a hero like you. But, I didn't think it would be right for me to be the only one to break away. There is still something I must settle." Shoto finishes.

"The look on your face is completely different than before." All Might states. He peeks at Hotaru from the outer corner of his eye who's now staring at her feet as he gives Shoto a hug. "I won't ask the details. I'm sure that you will be able to do what you need to do."

"Yes." Shoto whispers.

While All Might proceeds to give Bakugo his medal even though he keeps refusing it, Shoto and Hotaru stare at the ground. A cool and refreshing breeze blows by, making their hair and attire ruffle. They glance at each other simultaneously, pure innocence and uncertainty hovering between them. She looks away from him first and his lips purse.

 _This is their new beginning._

•○●○•

There's no school tomorrow or the day after that. They are given a whole two days off to rest and recover from the Sports Festival. When they return, they will find out whether or not any Pro Heroes recruited them. Apparently, it's referred to as The Draft. Either way, Hotaru couldn't be more glad— _mostly about her days off_.

She steps out and beneath the twilight sky, bringing her hand over her mouth as she yawns. Class was just dismissed and she wasted no time to leave the building. In fact, she was the first to leave the classroom. Nothing sounds better than sleeping right now.

Adjusting her bag over her shoulder, she starts to walk off. The cool breeze caresses her as crickets start to sing their songs. She finds herself staring at the sky. It's beautiful. She wishes she had her phone to take a picture of it, but Aizawa-sensei refuses to give her phone back. Actually, he told her she'll never get it back.

Within the upcoming days she's going to receive a new phone with a new number. Aizawa-sensei already called Daichi and informed him of what transpired regarding her parents. He told her she doesn't need to worry about them anymore, and he told her he'll inform Endeavor in her stead. She smiles. _She's grateful—_

"Aihara-san." A voice speaks up from behind her, making her eyes bulge. She almost trips on air. It's an all too familiar voice. The sound of his approaching footsteps grow closer.

The entirety of their fight reruns in her head, the end of it being more prominent. His warmth and strong hold, how the raindrops coating them merged together at their touch, her indebted thank you… _damn it_. What has she done?

She starts walking faster with skittish sweat forming on her temple. He starts walking faster too. Her cheeks flush in utmost embarrassment. He reaches towards her, his fingers nearly brushing against her arm until she suddenly takes off into a desperate run.

Shoto slowly lowers his hand, now rooted in the same spot. It happened again. _She really is avoiding him._ He stares after her, watching as she uses her Quirk to glide down the metal railing of the stairwell to heighten her escape. His lips downturn.

"Rejected." Mineta suddenly appears beside him with a smug smirk. "How many times do I have to tell you that she's mine? I understand she may have gotten your hopes up with that hug and lovely smile… but it meant nothing! Got it?! I bet she was thinking of me when she did it—!"

"Rejected? I don't think so." Kaminari walks up from behind them with a raised brow. "I think she's just embarrassed."

"Embarrassed?" Shoto repeats, and the blonde lets out a sigh.

"Man, you don't know a thing about girls, do you?"

"Neither do you." Jiro suddenly walks past them, making Kaminari blanch.

Mineta suddenly smirks with an ominous aura surrounding him. Although he warned this guy countless times, he just won't leave his Taru-chan alone. What can he do to make him give it up? Perhaps he can trick him into doing something that'll make Taru-chan angry. _Something she hates…_ flowers. She burned every single flower he has gifted her.

"Look here, Todoroki." Mineta deceptively begins. "If you're really desperate for her love, I'll tell you how to patch things up with her—"

"I already know what I have to do." Shoto callously cuts him off, taking retreating steps as Mineta wails in anger.

•○●○•

"I knew you were strong, but I didn't know you were that strong! You were literally so amazing! I know I'm your legal guardian, and you're basically my little sister, but it feels like you're my guardian!"

Hotaru laughs at Daichi's gushing, her cheeks rosy in her grateful state. She looks over at him with sparkling eyes, bringing her feet up onto the cozy couch. He's so dumb. She's no guardian at all.

"Thank you, but you're the only guardian here." She begins, tossing a pillow at him. "You're the one who took me in. You helped me get to where I am. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even have gotten into U.A."

"I know, I know." He waves his hand through the air, tossing the pillow back at her. "But, you get what I'm saying."

"I get it." She admits, sending the cushion back his way. "Stupidhead."

"Meanie." He pouts, throwing the pillow a little too high. She tries to catch it but it goes way over her head. They both stare at the pillow that's now so far away. "...Are you going to get that?"

"You threw it."

"But, you failed to catch it."

"Rock, paper, scissors." She holds up her fist. He accepts her challenge,

 _And she loses_.

With a huff, she slides off of the couch and moves over to pick up the pillow. He watches her with sparkles of accomplishment surrounding him. She plops back down next to him, hugging the pillow tightly against her chest with puffed out cheeks.

"Anyways," He reaches over and ruffles up her hair. "I talked to your homeroom teacher over the phone." He frowns slightly. "Are you doing okay?"

She peers at him through her lashes, her pout being replaced with a small smile. It is quite obvious what he's referring to when he asks that. It's about her parents. He tried contacting her throughout the day, but all of his texts and calls were buried by her parents.

"I've never been better." She answers honestly.

The sincerity she's displaying is visible and pure. It makes relief flood into him and his lips curve upwards. Despite the struggles of today, she's growing happier as the days go by without a doubt, often showing the Hotaru Aihara he knew her as.

"I'm glad." He says with a smile. "It looks like you and Todoroki are learning to get along like old times, too."

"...I don't know what you're talking about."

"Huh?"

Daichi blinks when Hotaru suddenly turns away from him with tinted cheeks. She buries her face into the pillow she still clutches. His index finger grazes against his chin, and a question mark appears over his head.

"The truth is, I can't remember a thing that happened during our fight."

"Really?"

"Y-Yeah. I lost some of my memory when I fell unconscious."

"..." His expression dulls. "Okay, that was a pretty obvious lie."

"I don't remember! Who are we even talking about?" She suddenly stands up. "I'm sleepy. So, I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight."

"Wait!" Daichi throws the pillow she left behind. It hits her back which makes her turn around with a feeble glare. "There's something important I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

She looks at him curiously and he grins widely. Her head tilts slightly when he pulls out his phone. He plays a voicemail out loud. When it's over, her eyes glisten like stars in the night sky. She clasps her hands together in excitement, cheering.

"Your fish store has been renovated?!"

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Unspoken Words

❤•○●○•❤

Velvety petals rain down from above and shadows dance across their forms. Their hair and attire becomes ruffled as a morning breeze blows. A singing bird lands on one of the branches over their heads, and the nearby pond ripples from the swimming koi. Hotaru rises onto her feet slowly, facing Shoto with pursed lips.

"What are you doing here?" She whispers in question.

"I want to talk." He answers, and her eyes narrow. "You don't have to say anything. Instead, just listen to me... please."


	29. Unspoken Words

**Potato-Faye:** ❤ you're welcome ! please enjoy ! (´ ∀ ` *)

 **jaffa3:** happy you enjoyed it ❤

 **Oblivious IJ:** *cough* i'm guilty of making fanart *cough*

 **NotDeadYet16:** ❤ awe, thank you so much ! i absolutely love writing this story, especially Shotaru scenes. it brings me so much joy that you're enjoying this story. tysm. ❤

 **Cally:** haha ~ ! ❤ i laughed out loud. hopefully it won't be much longer now. i'm sure things will move along smoothly from here on out, ehe.

❤⌒ヽ(*'､^*)chu

 **Swiggs:** aahh, that's such a great song. while writing that scene i was listening to the violet evergarden ost, 'what it means to love' ❤ it took them long enough to make up, huh? aha ~

 **bbymojo:** i was so eager to write their fight for so long, and the amount of joy i got when i was finally able to was great, aha ! it was intense and fun. ❤ tried to make it as meaningful as possible, aha. Shoto and Taru are so cute when they react. oh, she remembers for sure. she's just in complete denial. (*¯ ³¯*) you'll love this chapter i know it ~ what ever will Shoto do?

 **MissLaufeyson97:** a preview? ❤ can you explain for me i'm interested but a little slow, aha.

 **reginna98:** continuing for you ~ ! hello from America ! (⁀ᗢ⁀)

 **Vienna22:** next chapter for you ❤

 **Rmack:** sorry for the wait, here's the next chapter ❤ !

 **antisocialFox** : hope you enjoy this chapter ! (*´▽`*)

 **ahgase007:** oh my gosh ! 5 a.m.?! haha ! i'm happy you are enjoying this ❤ i hope you were able to get some rest!

 **lovelyhatter:** aahh, tysm ! ❤ Taru is adorable, aha. i hope you enjoy this chapter !

•○●○•

 **hello, all.** ❤

 **thanking you all again for taking the time to read, review, etc !**

 **i hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.**

 **i played through the whole final fantasy 7 remake just recently and omg,** ❤ **i'm in love with it. but now i'm so behind on homework.**

 **oops.** (；￣Д￣)

 **this chapter is full of fluff, just so ya know. a gift for all of you, and a breather from all the intensity that's been going on. i think this is one of my most favorite chapters i've ever written, aha.**

 **anyways, please enjoy, and i apologize for any errors!**

 **•○●○•**

* * *

❤•○●○•❤

Unspoken Words

❤•○●○•❤

Refreshing air blasts onto Hotaru's face as the window rolls down. Her eyelids lower and her lips that are enclosed around a spiraled straw curve upwards. A happy aura surrounds her, her hair and attire whipping as Daichi drives down the bustling road.

"It's so pretty outside." Hotaru sighs blissfully, moving to place her banana smoothie in the cup holder. "The sky is already so blue—oh! Daichi! Look at all the doves!"

Daichi looks over right when he slows the car down to a stop at the red light. Her head is protruding from the window and she's pointing skywards at countless oriental turtle doves that are resting on a power line. He smiles. She's so jubilant this morning.

"That's a lot of birds." He states, and she glances at him with adorably puffed cheeks, pouting.

" _Doves_." She corrects, her smile returning instantly as one of the dove's start singing. "They sound like owls. When I was younger I thought they were morning owls instead of morning doves."

"I used to think that, too." Daichi admits sheepishly, and she laughs.

"Really?"

"Yup." He nods, gently pressing down on the gas pedal.

Hotaru turns around in her seat, staring at the doves until they are no longer in sight. She blinks a few times as a sudden thought strikes her. Her head turns in Daichi's direction, a thoughtful frown on her face.

"Why don't birds get electrocuted when they sit on power lines?" She asks.

"Well, it's because they aren't a good enough conductor." Daichi begins, taking a sip from his own banana smoothie.

"How? I'm sure if I shoot lightning at one it'll definitely be a great conductor—not that I would actually do that, though. Are their feet special or something? Like made of rubber?"

"Of course it would if you shoot _lightning_ at it. Lightning is on a whole other level." Daichi lets out an amused laugh, shaking his head. "Although, I'm not saying normal electricity can't do damage to a bird. It certainly can. But, electricity in power lines is kind of lazy. It follows the easiest route, which is the electrical wire. If you had to choose from two different objects, one being low in potential and the other one high, which would you choose? In other words, lean meat or meat that's not so lean?"

"The one with the highest potential." Hotaru answers easily. "So, lean meat. It's less fatty."

"Exactly. It's like that."

"That makes sense. So, the bird isn't worth the electricity's time then? Wow." She says, awed.

"Yeah." He muses, starting to glance at her. "I'm surprised you didn't know that, considering your Quirk and all—Hey! Put your seat-belt on!"

She snickers, although doing as she's told. After she follows his command, she proceeds to happily drink her smoothie without delay. He raises a brow at her endless gulps, gawking when he sees she finishes the fruity beverage off. It was nearly full seconds ago. She lets out a dramatic breath, humming in satisfaction.

"I wish I had another one." She sighs almost dreamily.

"...You should've savored it. It would've lasted longer."

"You can get me another one, right?"

"Psh," He lets out a curt laugh, giving off the impression that he doesn't intend to do that. It's not much longer after that when he suddenly mumbles. "...On the way home. I wouldn't mind a second one, either."

"Hehe," She giggles, bringing her hand over her mouth.

Daichi pulls the car into a familiar parking lot, parking beneath a blooming magnolia tree. The citrus-like scent the ivory flowers give off are instantly detectable. It's remedying, and Hotaru gladly inhales the aroma.

She steps out of the car, closing the door behind her. Her arms raise high above her head as she stretches before falling back to her sides. The flimsy material of her over-sized and powdery blue shirt sways at her movements. A simplistic white koi is illustrated on the front of it, matching the white of her leggings.

The sound of Daichi getting out of the car makes her look over. She clasps her hands together behind her back, skipping over to him, her teal tennis shoes scraping against the asphalt ground. He holds out her empty cup.

"Oops. I forgot." She states, grabbing onto it.

"Sure you did."

"But, I really did."

He locks the car doors, nudging her playfully as he starts walking off towards a trash can while finishing his smoothie off. She follows after him, tossing the plastic cup only after he does. He adjusts his olive-green uniform before facing her.

"Alright. I'm going to make my rounds." He announces, and she salutes as if she's a soldier.

"I'll make my rounds, too. Park Ranger Hotaru is ready for action."

"You're a mess." He laughs, his honey eyes gleaming. "Alright. I'm counting on you. But," He ruffles up her hair. "No death threats."

"No promises." She beams, scampering off into the tranquil park.

She passes beneath towering maple trees and smaller scaled cherry blossoms. Their foliage creates a rustling sound, and the azalea bushes are occupied by butterflies and honeybees. Any spotty clouds in the sky roll by quickly.

Gradually, her playful run turns into a pleasant walk down the stone path. The sunlight that occasionally shines into her silvery orbs makes them glisten like stars, and the songs of robin birds fill her ears. Her eyelids lower briefly, her ebony lashes resting upon her cheeks.

It's been a little while since she last came here. Preparing for the sports festival really consumed her time, so she didn't get the chance to visit. The sports festival was yesterday, and today is the first day of her short break. She wants to spend some of her day here and relax. It's been too long since she lounged around.

Not only that, but her new phone will be coming in the mail today. Overnight shipping sure is a magical thing. She runs her fingers through her wavy strands of hair. Although she's excited about that, she's even more excited about Daichi's fish store. He's getting in a shipment of fish tanks today and she's going to help him set them up. This will be her first time doing that, _and she can't wait_.

It doesn't take long for her beloved pond to come into view. The water is shimmering almost as if someone has through glitter across it. It reflects the sky and the flowering wisteria tree that hangs over a portion of it. Some lavender petals come drifting her way as she walks towards it. Nobody else is present.

"Hello," She murmurs, pressing her hand against the rough bark as if the tree can understand her. Her fingers glide across it, and she suddenly jumps at an obnoxious sound. A cicada is on the tree. Her nose scrunches up. "Disgusting."

Turning her attention away from the ravishing tree, she steps over its roots and moves closer to the large body of water. The water starts to ripple instantly as koi fish come rushing towards her. She smiles, her teeth showing.

She heard someone say once before that fish only have a three second memory. That's clearly a lie. They have a great memory that she's sure they cherish, and emotions that she's sure they feel.

"Hi." She laughs softly, leaning over the water so she can see her reflection amid the swarming koi. It looks like some of them have gotten bigger. However, none of them have surpassed the size of a koi that's been here for years.

That koi swims across the reflection of her face, and her eyes seem to disappear as they blend in with its silvery scales. _The butterfly koi that was his favorite_. She never knew why he picked it as his favorite, though. Even till this day, it still beats up the other fish. She draws back when it suddenly thrashes. Droplets of water erupt, and she brings her hands up to shield herself from the beads.

Figuring they must be hungry; she looks over at the nearby fish food dispenser that's full of pellets. She makes her way over to it and reaches towards the pockets she doesn't have. Her mouth forms an "o" shape as she stands there motionlessly. She doesn't have any change. So, _she_ _bangs her fist on top of it_.

Fish food comes spilling out and she cups her hands to catch it. With a triumphed smile, she walks back over to the pond full of eager koi. She tosses some food to them, watching as they feast straight away.

"It would be cruel to feed just you guys," She whispers in a gentle tone.

She steps out of her shoes and kicks off her socks, beginning to hop across the stones jutting out of the water. There are more koi in the distance that take notice of her. They swim in her direction while the koi she just fed trail behind her.

There's something delicate about her movements, and something serene about the expression on her face. She feels at home at the place she's spent countless hours. It's her own rejuvenating refuge— _her own private oasis_.

She ends up back beneath the wisteria tree with now emptied hands. The koi still swim around near her as they crave for more food. She sits herself down in the prickly grass and right next to the rippling water. She'll feed them more in a little bit. Right now, she wants to sit and enjoy the scenery.

Japanese maples are scattered about. Water lilies are growing beneath the bridge going over the pond ahead. There's a bird's nest over her head, and the pavilion not too far off looks lonely without anyone in it. It's quiet, but the early hour explains that. Sunrise wasn't that long ago. She lowers her eyelids.

The sound of water, the whispering wind, that annoying cicada, all of it fills her ears. Before long she can hear children playing on the playground in the distance along with their parents' voices. She must be sitting in relaxation like this for an hour at most when she suddenly hears the scrunching of grass.

Someone is heading towards the pond. Straining her ears, she foresees something different. Those footsteps are too unsteady. Hesitant, but occasionally tenacious. Someone is approaching her from behind. They grow closer and she turns around.

Shoto grows somewhat tense, not expecting her to turn around so quickly and before he can even say a hello. Her wide and silvery eyes stare at him, resembling beautifully rolling clouds. They both find themselves overcome with a sense of déja vu.

 _This is how they first met._

Velvety petals rain down from above and shadows dance across their forms. Their hair and attire becomes ruffled as a morning breeze blows. A singing bird lands on one of the branches over their heads, and the nearby pond ripples from the swimming koi. Hotaru rises onto her feet slowly, facing Shoto with pursed lips.

"What are you doing here?" She whispers in question.

"I want to talk." He answers, and her eyes narrow. "You don't have to say anything. Instead, just listen to me... please."

Her lips downturn into a frown and crease forms in her brow. Ever so slightly, her foot slides backwards. He's dressed in casual clothes. Pants the color of charcoal, an oxford blue collared jacket that's unbuttoned, a white shirt, and a somewhat adorable cross-body fanny pack. He… _wants to talk?_

His mismatched eyes are amicable as he gazes at her, but she's avoiding them. His arms hang at his sides harmlessly— _arms._ Her cheeks suddenly flare pink and he blinks. Her hand instantly moves over her face and she ducks her head.

"I-I'm busy." She stutters.

She moves to step around him to escape, but he blocks her path. She tries to go the opposite way, but suddenly he's in her way again. Her teeth grit and she raises her head, glaring at him despite her vivid cheeks.

"Get out of the way!"

"Just listen to me—"

"No!"

"Aihara—"

"When I said I didn't want anything from you, that includes your words!"

The next step she takes to try and escape doesn't go as she planned. In fact, she just wishes she stayed put, or even dived into the pond to escape instead. Why is he here and ruining her day?

Her foot gets caught on an arched weed, tripping her mercilessly. She's suddenly falling at a quick rate. Her breath gets caught in her throat when Shoto catches her, and she freezes from head to toe at the feel of his arms around her waist. His lips part slightly.

 _She really is embarrassed._

"That wasn't the first time we hugged." He states shamelessly, and her fingers curl tightly into his sleeves. She straightens up and glares at him piercingly, her teeth bared angrily.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about…!" She trails off almost as if she's in a daze. "...Your eyes."

The embarrassed expression she wore fades along with her disarrayed demeanor. Her denying words and thoughts come to a halt. Her brows furrow and she leans closer to him while rising onto the tips of her toes, scrutinizing. The organ in her chest abruptly grows heavy.

"What?" He inquires and she instantly draws back.

"...Nothing." She mutters, staring at the ground.

He moves past her wordlessly, his shoulder brushing against hers. She turns, watching as he brings his hand into his pocket. He pulls out some change and proceeds to insert it into the dispenser. Her jaw slowly slackens.

"Do you want to feed the fish?" He asks.

"I already fed them." She retorts, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest.

"Really?" He says, somewhat confused as he looks over at the begging fish. "They still look hungry."

"Well… I fed them like an hour ago."

She runs her fingers through her wavy tresses as he gathers fish food into his palms. One by one, he tosses food into the water. Droplets of water erupt as the colorful koi compete for their meal. The silver koi comes into view, and surprise crosses Shoto's features. He looks from its vibrant scales and into Hotaru's fathomless eyes.

"What?" She grumbles at his probing stare.

"Nothing." He whispers, his back now to her.

He starts slowly traveling around the perimeter of the pond. The fish swim after him, leaving Hotaru behind as she remains rooted in the same spot. The muscle in her eye twitches and she huffs.

"Traitors." She says beneath her breath, referring to the fish. With a sigh, she clasps her hands together behind her back, jogging after Shoto.

With each step he takes, his hair sways. Shadows from the trees and light from the sun cast many organic shapes onto his form. Grasshoppers occasionally leap from the grass and away from him. His brows knit together and his lips downturn.

He should've known she wouldn't be open to having a conversation. The things he wants to say are things she needs to hear, _things he wants her to know_. He's not sure what to do, though. The last thing he wants to do is force her to listen. That would make things even worse.

Should he give her something? He vaguely remembers that she's fond of flowers, specifically water hyacinths. They are an aggressive and eye-catching breed, somewhat invasive too. It makes sense she would like something that corresponds so much with herself. Unfortunately, he doesn't know where to get them.

Then, should he just turn back around and remind her of his requests? She'll have no choice but to listen if he does that, right? He can have her tell him about her past, then he can tell her about his in return. But, that sounds a little forceful, too.

He looks over his shoulder, pausing in his step. She perfectly mirrors his movements. She's been walking behind him the whole time? He didn't even hear her footsteps. Although, it makes sense when he glances down at her bare feet. That's something that hasn't changed. She still prefers walking around barefoot. More importantly, _she's following him_.

When he faces her, he holds out his hand that's full of fish food. She peers at him through her lashes, her lower lip protruding. She appears a bit timid. Carefully, she moves closer to him and holds out her hands. He gives her half of the fish food he has left before continuing around the pond with her following close behind.

Her eyes stare at the ground, and she walks over the flattened trail of grass Shoto leaves behind from his steps, almost like they are stepping stones. He has a bigger stride than she does, and his feet are bigger too. A swallowtail butterfly suddenly flutters by her, leading her to stare at the back of his head.

"Have you heard of Quirk marriages?" He asks after a couple silent minutes.

She's all too familiar with that term. It's a marriage for the sole purpose of creating a powerful Quirk, combining Quirks, or even creating an entirely new one. That's what her own parents were trying to accomplish.

"I'm familiar with it." She answers a bit dismally.

"I'm sure you're aware of how my old man has been stuck as the Number Two Hero and developed a hatred for All Might." He states rather than asks.

"Right." She murmurs, very familiar with that as well.

"That's why I was born."

For a fleeting moment, she can no longer feel the breeze or hear the occasional splashes the koi create. Her lungs become emptied of air and she's now rooted in the same place. As if sensing that, Shoto stops and looks at her from over his shoulder.

She's somewhat pale, perhaps pitying him. He's reminded of the horrified face Midoriya made when he told him this. However, the sad and cordial look in her silvery orbs is different. Goosebumps sprout out across his skin when she speaks, and his chest numbs. She's not pitying him at all, _she's relating to him_.

"We…" She begins falteringly, slowly confirming his thoughts. "...Are a bit similar."

He was right about their situations being similar this whole time. He faces her just as the breeze picks up. Blades of grass rise and petals circle around them. A heavyhearted smile forms on her face at his soft gaze.

"We are, aren't we?"

"Yeah." She nods, moving so she's standing by his side. "Keep going. I'm listening."

They start walking again, only this time they are side by side. Their hands slowly get rid of the fish food they hold, and it isn't much longer when they both are sitting beneath the wisteria tree. He's sitting with his legs outstretched, why she's sitting with her knees hugged against her chest.

He speaks of how Endeavor won over his mother's family and forced her into marriage. He speaks of the siblings she didn't know he had, and how he is the youngest and the "masterpiece."

His abusive childhood, how he was forced to partake in intense training, his given role to surpass All Might, how his mother was hurt every time she tried defending him, how she slowly became mentally unstable and gave him the scar on his face, how she's now in a hospital, how he was rejecting Endeavor by not using his left, how he was blinded by rage… _she's now aware of it all_. She knows everything.

"Your mother," She gently inquires, fiddling with the grass. "Have you visited her?"

"Earlier this morning." He answers, wistfully staring ahead. "It was the first time I've seen her since my old man sent her away. I should've visited her sooner, but I thought my presence would put pressure on her."

Hotaru frowns a bit as she looks over at him. She studies his face closely. She adjusts herself so she's sitting cross-legged, placing her hands in her lap.

"Did it go well?"

"We talked for a long time. She cried and apologized, even forgiving me surprisingly quickly with a smile." He answers softly, sounding as if he's still processing his visit to her.

"What about you?" Hotaru inquires further, that question making him look her way in confusion. "Your tears, were they happy like hers?"

His eyes widen as he's caught off guard. He blinks a few times. There's a hopeful smile on her face that brings about a sense of familiarity. Back then and even now, how is it that she can always tell if he cried?

"Yes." He answers hesitantly, and she grins with a head tilt.

"That's good." She turns her attention back over to the pond ahead. "The both of you must feel a lot better now. Daichi always tells me that it takes a lot of energy to sustain negative emotions."

He's not sure if she notices that she's humming an upbeat tune. She is leaning from side to side, her eyelids are lowered as she soaks in the warm sun. It's true that he does feel a lot better. Although, he wonders about her, too.

"Do you feel better?" He asks suddenly, and her lips purse.

"What do you mean?"

"You seem happier."

Her humming comes to a stop. She doesn't answer him right away, but when she does she smiles in a way that makes the scenery inferior. A warm glow surrounds her and her fingers play with the grass.

"I'm just relieved." She reveals. "I don't really have to worry anymore. I worried about you for the longest, but you're doing better now. I worried about whether or not it was right for me to become a hero, but so many people are supporting me. Things that I didn't think were possible are unfolding."

Her head turns in his direction and she takes in his astonished face. The tone she spoke in was alluring as it always is, yet something indistinguishable was weaved into it. Did she want to say more? Her internal tribulations are still flickering.

"Aihara-san," He speaks steadily. "Can you fulfill another request? Your past, tell me about it."

That makes her bring her hands over her face with a heavy breath. It's only fair that she does just that since he spilled out his past for her, and it would be shameful if she didn't keep her word, but she's nervous. He's not going to like it at all. Then again, _she didn't like his either_. There is nothing good about it. She's not sure how he will react. He'll probably never look at her the same way again.

"It's not a very pleasant story." She mumbles.

"That's okay."

"It's a bit graphic too."

"I'll listen." He assures her, and her hands fall to the ground.

"Will you listen till the very end?" She asks, and he gives her the smallest and most tender smile.

"Aren't we already at the end?"

"...Smart-ass." She grumbles with rose dusted cheeks, looking away from him instantly. "Alright. Here I go."

Her eyelids lower briefly, her shoulders rising as the inhales deeply. The fabric of her shirt wrinkles as a result of her fingers curling into it. She stares ahead, and he gives her full attention as she starts to speak.

"My mom is originally from America. She got into some trouble that was bad enough to make her flee here to Japan. Eventually, she met my dad. Them both being villains and not having any morality, they got along well. They fell in love quickly. It wasn't exactly the perfect relationship, though. Even though they were strong together, they weren't strong enough. When Endeavor kept stopping specifically my dad from committing his crimes, him and my mom got greedy. They couldn't beat him, so I came along."

She suddenly laughs a bit and runs her fingers through her hair. Outstretching her legs, she leans back on the heels of her hands. She gazes through the swaying branches, zoning in on the nesting bird.

"Of course, I was considered a disappointment at the age five. I didn't have my mom's Berserk Quirk or my dad's Lightning Mimicry. I was 'Quirkless.' They kept trying and failing to have another child. My mom became abusive, but my dad remained calm and hopeful. Me and him were always close. Even so, they were gone a lot and didn't care what I did. I was able to do whatever I wanted. So, I stumbled upon this place and met Daichi. Then," She smiles over at him. "I met you."

The story she tells is the exact same one she told in the teachers' lounge way back when. She tells him everything from before they knew each other and up till now, leaving nothing out. Honestly, _it's nothing like Shoto imagined_.

Her parents raised her to be the perfect villain, teaching her wrong is right and right is wrong. She wanted to be like them and help them, make them happy even. It's natural for a child to want to do those things. But, _she was completely brainwashed_.

She had to learn the truth of things on her own and through her gruesome experiences. The villain she wanted to be wasn't what she was brought up to admire. Meeting himself, Daichi, and even his old man was an epiphany that stuck with her.

She was born to kill Endeavor, _and even later kill him_. Yet she broke free of the shackles that were thrown around her and fought for what she believed was right. She fought to bring down her own parents. She enrolled at U.A. to extract her revenge, get a taste of her old dream, find someone to save her, _and protect him_.

Shoto stares at her breathlessly even though she's not looking his way. There's a white butterfly on her fingertip and she's gazing at it vacantly. She's done and been through a lot, and it makes his chest constrict. _He knows everything_ , even the true reason why she almost dropped out of their fight yesterday.

He finds himself comparing her to the sky as always. She's prosperous and altering like the clouds, morphing to counteract the atmospheric conditions. When necessary she'll brew up a storm, and during times like this she's the enticing calm before it. She wreaked havoc like a tornado, and also made the world around her flourish with a gentle rainfall— _a storm that left behind a gracious rainbow._

"What's that look for?" Hotaru speaks up, finally looking over at him and in distraught. He's too quiet. She knew this would happen. "Am I more awful than you thought?"

"The opposite." He answers, and her breath hitches.

After that, they gaze at each other silently. Her eyebrows are raised and her lashes flutter at her profound blinks. He's being honest and it wasn't what she was expecting. After all, he hated the things she's done.

"...What?" She voices at his serious tone. "Didn't you hear a word I said? My hands are bloodied."

"Not anymore." He states, and her lower lip trembles. "I think the most important thing is who you are now. The person you are now is genuine and considerate, even more than the person you were when I met you. You're my hero, too."

Her jaw becomes slack and the butterfly that was crawling on her hand flies off. The breeze rolls by and makes her hair somewhat cover her face. How is it that her chest feels as light as ever? The relief she's feeling now can't compare to the relief she felt earlier. She can't form any words.

"Taru," He continues lightheartedly, and she swallows thickly. "Thank you."

"Y-You don't need to thank me."

"I do." He disagrees, and she stands quickly, flustered.

"The fish are hungry again!"

He hands her a quarter, and just like that, _they are feeding the fish once again_. They stroll beside one another in a comfortable silence, and it's only when they come to a stop over the bridge when Hotaru breaks that silence.

"Sho," She says, leaning against the bridge's railing and peering over the edge. "How are you going to prove to me that we can be friends? I'm curious."

The koi fish are swimming beneath the bridge, making the lily pads wobble. Shoto leans against the railing next to her, although his back is against it unlike her. The air is growing warmer as noon approaches, but the temperature is still refreshingly cool.

"I won't walk away from you again." He responds.

"Really? Well, I walked away from you too, you know." She reminds him.

"I won't let you walk away either."

She smiles, and it shows in her distorted reflection. Through the water's reflection, she can also see Shoto looking at her. She crosses her legs and tilts her head, meeting his kind eyes with her own.

"Alright." She accepts that. "Want to make that a promise?"

"Yeah."

Pushing herself off of the wood railing, she moves closer to him. He straightens up and faces her fully, watching as she holds out her pinky finger to him. His pinky finger coils around hers, her skin velvety to the touch just like his. Their thumbs press together to seal their promise. She grins with rosy cheeks and he frowns thoughtfully.

"Is there really nothing you want from me?" He questions suddenly. "I'm still willing to let you ask for three requests, too. It feels weird being the only one asking for something."

"Actually, I lied to you then. Sorry." She admits, shifting her weight with a mischievous smile. "There are lots of things I want to ask of you."

"Only three." He emphasizes with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, yeah." She waves him off, pulling him by his hand.

She leads him across the remainder of the bridge with a skip in her step, making her curls bound. He's dumbfounded as she drags him along. Where is she taking him? He glances down at her painted toes just when they go down a stone path.

Suddenly and like a dance, she moves behind him and places her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to come to a stop. She leans to the side and peeks around his taller frame. Her index finger points ahead and she beams up at him.

"I want ice cream." She states.

After taking in her happy face, he follows her pointing finger that leads him straight to an ice cream trolley parked ahead by the playground. It's the same one that his mother bought them ice cream from all those years ago. Out of all the things she could ask for, _she asks for ice cream?_

With a rather dull expression, he looks over at her. There's a smile still on her face, and her silvery orbs are shining as she gives him the stare of a begging puppy. A drop of sheepish sweat forms on his temple as he sighs.

"Fine."

"Thank you~!" She clasps her hands together happily.

They stand before the trolley consequently. He's now holding cash and she grins in excitement from next to him, viewing all the options she can choose from. The laughter of the frolicking children nearby resonate.

"What flavor?" He asks, and her finger grazes her chin in thought.

"Hm…" She hums as she contemplates, pointing at her choice. "The wild berry flavor, right there. With the white chocolate."

"Two of those." Shoto informs the worker, handing him the necessary amount of money.

It doesn't take long at all for their waffle cones to be filled with two decent scoops of ice cream. Shoto hands Hotaru her cone and she takes it gleefully, her fingers brushing over his. Instantly, she drags her tongue across the icy treat.

"It's so good." She sighs aloud as they start walking back towards the pond. She snickers, watching as he tastes his ice cream. "You got one, too."

He's not sure why she felt the need to state something so obvious, but he nods at that. They situate themselves on a wooden bench beneath the pavilion that has climbing hydrangeas growing up its oriental structure. A cooling shade shields them from the warming sun. Silently and contentedly, they eat their treats.

"What else do you want?" Shoto asks just as they finish their ice cream. Hotaru springs onto her feet promptly.

"I want you to tell me," She begins, jogging over to the pond and pointing at the silver koi. "Why that fish is your favorite."

It's another unexpected request, although it's not so surprising. She's unpredictable. He stands up and walks over to her at a slow pace, looking over the edge of the pavilion and at his favorite koi swimming about.

"Because it's the same color as your eyes." He answers, and she freezes.

She faces him so quickly and like a blur, wide-eyed. Surprise is evident on her features. _Because it's the same color as her eyes?_ That was out of the blue. Her brows furrow and she brings her hand over her chest.

"Why because of that?"

"Is that your third request?"

"No!" She quickly shakes her head. "My third request is that I want three more requests."

"No." He shoots that down instantly, and she pouts.

Although she's curious about why that fish is his favorite for a reason such as that, she's not curious enough to use her third request to figure that out. Since this will be her last request, she wants to make it special and more important. Unfortunately, she can't think of anything else at the moment. She doesn't even think she wants anything else.

She stares down at the glistening water with upward curved lips. She's not so sure what she's feeling right now, but whatever it may be is sweet. It's been a very long time since they were last together like this. He hasn't been here since their friendship fell apart. Now, _it's mended again_. This is all she wants—to idle her time away with him like this.

 _And he knew exactly where to find her._

"Shoroki," She speaks in a wispy voice, the wind carrying it in his direction. He doesn't say anything, although awaiting what she has to say. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" His brows raise slightly.

"Well, if we are going to be friends again, I want to start fresh and get everything off of my chest." She explains, outstretching her hand over the water so the sunlight can coat it. "I haven't been very nice to you and said some unseemly things… sorry." Her silvery orbs look his way timidly. "You're nothing like your old man. You're too kindhearted… on rare occasions, anyway."

He _almost_ lets out a sarcastic laugh. There's a sudden shrewd smirk on her face that's ridiculing him. She's not going to simply let him overlook his past words and actions. He can't. At least, _not_ _until she forgives him_. She completely shot down his earlier apology. Now's his chance to say a better one.

"I forgive you." He says, his hands moving into his pockets. "I'm sorry, too. I haven't been being definite with my words or actions, and I've done some regretful things. The villain I always referred to you as, you're not that. Well," He looks off to the side. "When you want to be, at least."

Unlike him, Hotaru lets out a laugh while bringing her hand over her mouth. Her hair falls over her face when she hunches over slightly. The moment she straightens up, her eyes are sparkling and there's a delighted smile on her face.

"I don't have anything to say against that. But," She gives a small shrug, gently knocking her fist against his arm. "I forgive you."

Shoto feels a sudden wave of relief at that, and he lets out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He wonders if this is how she felt when he forgave her for the first time. It's almost overwhelming.

"Hotaru!" A new voice calls out, making the two of them look over. Daichi is walking up the stone pathway and towards them. He has Hotaru's shoes in his hands and he's frowning. "You shouldn't leave your shoes lying around. I thought it was litter, and not to mention someone could steal them—Todoroki?"

He falters in his step, blinking rapidly to make sure he's not seeing things. _He's not_. Sure enough, Shoto and Hotaru and leaning against the outer railing of the pavilion, close to one another, _and together_.

"Did I interrupt something?" He mutters quietly, and Hotaru pushes herself off of the railing while shaking her head.

"Nope." She smiles brightly.

"Good." He sighs, stepping beneath the pavilion and joining them. He holds out her shoes and she takes them with pursed lips. "Here."

"I don't need them right now, though."

"Yeah, you do." He ruffles up her hair before smiling and Shoto. "What's up, Todoroki? It's been a while since I last saw you here. You did great in the Sports Festival."

"Thanks." Shoto responds, not really knowing what else to say. It's been a long time since he last talked to the Park Ranger like this. "I'll visit more."

"Really?" Hotaru gapes over at him, and he nods.

"That'd be great." Daichi grins, whispering his next words. "Maybe you could help keep this girl in line…"

"What do you mean?" Shoto questions, genuinely curious. Daichi uses his hand to shield his lips from Hotaru's sight.

"Luckily it didn't happen today, but I get a lot of complaints about her saying death threats—"

"But, I don't do it for no reason." Hotaru instantly defends herself. "I wouldn't have to do these things if you just did your job better."

"I can't be everywhere at once!"

"Well, who's fault is that?" Hotaru huffs with narrowed eyes, and he waves her off.

"Anyways, sorry about this, but I'm going to have to steal Hotaru away from you. We got fish tanks to set up." Daichi informs, and Hotaru's face lights up.

"Is it time already?" She gushes, sparkles in her eyes. She turns to Shoto with her fists clenched in excitement. "Daichi's fish store will be reopening soon. You should check it out. Maybe you can even buy your own fish!"

Shoto stares at her wordlessly. Literal waves of happiness radiate around her form, _all because of fish_. What a fanatic. He redirects his gaze at the ground. It seems like their day ends here.

"Wait a second." Hotaru suddenly leans closer to him, so close that he takes a step back. Her cheeks darken in her state of euphoria. "Are you free? Do you want to set up a fish tank with us?"

His hand finds the back of his neck, and he looks at anything but her. Does she seriously want him to help set up a fish tank? It's true that he is free and doesn't have anything else planned for the day. Despite that, does he really want to do that?

The glittering sparkles surrounding Hotaru let off an enchanted sound that's impossible to ignore. _She's impossible to ignore_. He's not so sure about setting up a fish tank. It doesn't interest him. But, _he needs to prove that they can be friends_. That's what he tells himself, at least. Truthfully and unknowingly, he just doesn't want to break away from her just yet.

"Whatever." He mutters, looking at Daichi who just got done snickering to himself. "Is that okay?"

"Sure!" He gives a thumbs up. "The more the merrier."

"Seriously?" Hotaru beams, spinning on the balls of her feet and running off. "Then, let's go—!"

 _Crunch._

That gruesome sound seems to grate against her ears. She grows deathly still, Daichi and Shoto's eyes boring into her. She stares down at her foot. At a very slow pace, she lifts her foot up to see a brutally squashed cicada beneath it. _Blood and guts_. A gloomy aura surrounds her as she brings her hand over her face.

"That's why you should wear your shoes." Daichi runs his fingers through his cedar brown hair, shaking his head.

"Why do they always get in the way…?" She whispers.

She doesn't understand. What's with them? Sure, she has killed them purposely a few times, but she's also killed them unintentionally countless times, _too many times._ These bugs have to be getting in the way on purpose. _There's no other explanation—_

"Bug crusher." Shoto blatantly states, and she shoots him a glare from over her shoulder.

•○●○•

"Okay, you're going to rub your foot raw." A crease forms in Daichi's brow as he watches Hotaru from the outer corner of his eye. Ever since they got in the car, she's been cleaning her foot with a wet wipe.

"I need to get all the germs off." Hotaru mumbles, continuing to excessively wipe the bottom of her foot.

Shoto sits in the back seat quietly, merely staring out the window. Honestly, he feels a bit weird being with these two. They are an interesting pair. Sometimes they bicker, sometimes they laugh at the most dumb things, and sometimes he feels like he's sitting in an environmental science class just listening to their conversations.

"Got any lotion?" Hotaru asks Daichi.

"No."

"That's disappointing." She sighs.

"I'm sure your foot will be fine." He rolls his eyes.

"For now, at least. Until I step on something else. Anyways," She suddenly props her foot up on the dashboard. Her glittery nail polish sparkles beneath the sun. "Do you like my toenails? I painted them last night."

"They are beautiful."

"Are you being sarcastic?"

"Of course not."

"Yeah, you are!" She huffs, crossing her arms over her chest at his muffled snicker.

"Wait a second." Daichi suddenly gawks at her, a thought striking him. "Where did you even get nail polish?"

"Last week when we went to the store. I snuck it in the cart."

"What?!"

"I thought you would notice. It was rung out right in front of you." She laughs, sliding her sock and shoe back on. "Don't worry. I paid you back. Did you not notice the additional money in your wallet?"

"Where did you get that money...?" He mutters with a frown.

"On the ground in the parking lot, just before we left the store. I'm quite the scavenger."

"No kidding."

"Mhm. One of my many talents—look at that dog!" Hotaru gushes, poking her head out the open window suddenly. "What kind of dog is that? It's like a little fluff ball."

"It's a Pomeranian." Daichi answers.

"Do you think we can get one?"

"We can't take care of a dog. We're never home." He shakes his head, and she pouts.

"Disappointing."

Shoto's expression becomes more dull by the second. Maybe he should've just said no to this whole thing. This is too awkward. Just as he thinks that, Hotaru turns around in her seat and looks at him. He stares right back at her.

"Do you have a dog?" She asks curiously.

"No." He answers, and her head tilts.

"A cat?"

"No."

"Do you want any pet?"

"No."

Her lips purse. She folds her arms over the headrest of her seat, the air coming in from the open passenger window tousling her hair about. A sheepish smile forms on her face.

"Are you bored?" She inquires, and although he doesn't respond to that, his silence is a clear answer to her question. "You could've said no to this, you know."

"I'm just fulfilling my final request to you." He turns his attention over to what's beyond the window, and she gapes.

"Wait a second! This wasn't a request!"

"I'm making it one." He waves her off, and she glares.

"That's not how it works—!"

"Hotaru, please, learn how to put your seat-belt on!" Daichi's voice overpowers hers.

It doesn't take long at all for them to reach the newly refurbished fish store. Daichi parallel parks right in front of it, and the very moment he turns the car off, Hotaru steps on out. She closes the door behind her. There's a smile on her face as she takes in Daichi's fish store.

The structure and design is exactly the same as it was before, although somehow it looks even better now. Bees are flying around the potted plants, landing on the petals of the flourishing flowers. Hotaru can't help letting out an alleviated breath. Seeing his store like this makes her feel mollified inside. After all, it was her fault it was destroyed in the first place.

"This is it?" Shoto speaks up from next to her, dragging her out of her thoughts. She was so lost in them she didn't realize he had gotten out of the car.

"Yeah." She nods, her smile faltering slightly. Her hands clasp together tightly behind her back, and her next words are spoken more to herself than him. "It's here."

"I know what you're thinking." Daichi suddenly uses her head as an arm rest. "I must have told you this a hundred times. It's not your fault."

His arm falls away from her when she steps forward. She faces him with a helpless shrug, not uttering a single word. It's obvious she doesn't believe him, yet her simple smile suggests she's content regardless. She has already accepted that everything happened because of her, and that makes both Daichi and Shoto frown.

"Can we go inside?" She asks, squeaking in surprise when Daichi abruptly tosses the keys her way. She just barely catches them.

"Sure. You two go on ahead." Daichi smiles, and her head tilts. "The delivery guy is going to be here any minute now. So, I'm going to wait out here for him."

"Oh. Okay." Hotaru nods before grinning at Shoto as he stares at the ground. "Get ready for the grand tour!"

"Can't wait." Shoto says a bit sarcastically, following behind her as she moves towards the door. She twirls the keys around her finger and gives him a bland look from over her shoulder.

"At least pretend that you're happy to be here." She begins, moving to unlock the door. "Since it is a 'request' you're fulfilling, even though I totally didn't ask for this."

"You did ask for this." He argues.

"I know I did, but I didn't intend for it to be my last request. You know what I mean." She grumbles. "I just asked to ask. My last request… I wanted it to be something more special."

The silky tone she used and her attentive gaze makes Shoto's curiosity spike. _Something special?_ What would be special to her? He faces her with a tiny frown.

"Like what?" He asks.

A few seconds of silence hover between them as she thinks. Nothing comes to mind. Once those few seconds pass by, her lips curve upwards in a playful manner and she shrugs.

"I don't know. I guess I just wanted something to hold over your head."

"Not happening." He scowls.

Since she's obviously struggling to unlock the door, he takes the keys from her and nudges her aside. He unlocks the door with ease and she places her hands on her hips. She was sure Daichi gave her the wrong key, but it turns out she was turning it the wrong way. He glances over at her as if to mock her. As he opens the door, he stares at her. Neither of them move a muscle.

"What?" She speaks in an irked tone.

"I'm just holding the door open."

"To rub it in—?"

"For you." He cuts her off, making her freeze. "A tour guide should take the lead. It's common sense."

"...R-Right." She stutters. "Of course I know that. You should've said so earlier."

"Why would I state the obvious?" He frowns as she walks inside.

Daichi watches as Shoto follows behind Hotaru. When the glass door shuts behind them, he shakes his head with a chuckle. They are more similar than they know. He turns his attention over to a tractor trailer driving down the road.

When Shoto steps inside, the first thing he takes notice of is the checkered tiled floor. The only source of light is coming from the large windows behind them. His shadow stretches across the ground and gently touches Hotaru's form.

Little dust particles are floating about, shimmering in the sunlight that's flooding inside. That same light casts subtle highlights and shadows on Hotaru. She looks around the large room that's full of shelves, slowly spinning in a semi-circle as she does. The smell of paint lingers in the air. A fresh and new smell.

She moves over to the counter all of a sudden, placing herself behind it and crouching down and out of Shoto's sight. His brows furrow and he walks over. She's keenly surveying the cupboard beneath the counter-top. If she didn't tell him about what transpired here before, he wouldn't have the slightest clue what she's looking for.

"Ta—Aihara-san." He quickly corrects himself, and her head turns in his direction. "It's safe."

She stares at him silently before smiling softly. She straightens up and brushes imaginary dust off of her attire. His reassurance and the fact that nothing seems out the ordinary comforts her immeasurably. Something else does, too. Tucking some strands of hair behind her ear, her eyes meet his.

"You can call me Taru." She utters while skipping around him. "I don't mind."

"It's a habit… sorry." He says a bit awkwardly, and she shakes her head.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. It's not an insult or anything. I am Taru."

"But, you told me to address you with respect."

Her bounding steps come to a stop and her lips part in surprise. Those words she spoke to him during the sports festival hit her like a truck. That was just yesterday. It feels like forever ago since it was such a long day. She spins around and faces him.

"Of course, but that was yesterday. Now I'm granting you permission to call me whatever you'd like, Todoroki-san." She raises her hand, pointing her finger at his nose with a simper. "Taru, Hotaru, Aihara, with an honorific or without. Whatever you want."

It's like time has been inverted. That carefree expression and even her words, it's all so familiar to him. He always did call her "Taru" up until their reunion after their separation. That nickname has been slipping out more often, _all because he's starting to see her exactly as he did back then_. Although there are some changes, her heart is still the exact same.

"Then, I'll call you Taru." He states, and she lowers her hand. "In return, you can call me whatever you want, too."

"Shoroki it is." She instantly responds to that, and his lips purse. "That suits you the best. Because, you're like a whale shark."

"A whale shark…?"

"Mhm. Even though they are handsome, they are giant and intimidating. But, really they are so gentle—Hey. Where are you going?"

She only catches a glimpse of his face before he starts strutting towards the door. Her jaw drops as she feels like she's caught in a dream. Quickly, she runs after him and latches onto his arm. He looks away from her instantly as he opens the door, keeping his face out of her sight.

"Shoto! We didn't even finish the tour!" She complains.

"Stop messing around." He grumbles, and she laughs in a way that makes him sweat-drop.

"...Seriously?" Daichi's distressed voice gains their attention.

Hotaru looks over, seeing Daichi leaning against a trailer. One hand is over his face with the other is loosely holding onto his phone. Another man who appears to be the delivery guy is standing next to him with a clipboard. Something is wrong. That much is obvious. Releasing Shoto, she runs over to them.

"What's wrong?" She asks Daichi with a frown. After that, she turns and glares at the delivery guy intense enough to make him yelp. "Did he do something?"

"No." Daichi answers. "The people I hired to help unload the truck aren't here. I called them just now and they are claiming I never contacted them. Now they are trying to charge me double."

"Are they on the phone now?" Hotaru asks, and he nods.

"Yeah, but—Hotaru?!"

Faster than he can comprehend, Hotaru snatches his phone from him and brings it to her ear. Everyone stares at her with wide eyes, especially in the eerie tone she speaks in. The delivery man takes a backwards step and Shoto lets out an inaudible sigh. Here's her villain side.

"Hello. I'm Aihara-san, a coworker of Daichi's. Yes, Aihara. Can you explain the situation to me?" She begins, using her finger to twirl a few strands of her hair. "We never scheduled? That can't be right because I'm looking at our contract right here."

"...S-She's an incredible liar…" Daichi murmurs in awe, before shaking his head. He tries snatching the phone back only for her to duck under his arms. "Seriously?!"

"Mhm. You're mistaken if you think we're going to pay extra for a mistake you made on your end. It's disappointing how unprofessional you're being right now." Hotaru continues, running away from Daichi. "You know what, let's just terminate the whole thing. Don't even bother coming out. You want my name again? It's Aihara. Sir, are you okay? You sound afraid. Oh? You're offering a discount—?"

She's cut off by her own yelp when Shoto unexpectedly grabs her by the arm, holding her in place. Daichi takes that moment to snatch his phone back. He instantly brings it to his ear.

"What's the discount?!" He asks without delay.

As Daichi gathers information about this new discount, Hotaru pouts at Shoto. He releases her arm and her eyes narrow severely.

"Why'd you do that? I was going to get them to come out for free!" She says.

"I'm sure you were." He responds, not doubting that. At how quickly she got a discount, he's sure she only needed to speak a few more sentences. "In a villainous way."

"...I was just responding in kind to their rip off."

She looks off to the side with a glare, obviously having no regrets. Shoto's eyelids lower and his lips twitch. Daichi hangs up with a successful laugh, facing the two of them with a grin.

"Maybe I should let you handle my phone disputes from now on. You got us 70% off! They'll be here first thing tomorrow morning." He beams, and Hotaru runs his fingers through her hair in a smug manner.

"Perfect—" She starts, only for the delivery man to speak up.

"That's not going to work. This truck needs to be unloaded today. I need it for another delivery tomorrow."

Right after that, a heavy silence hovers in the air. The only sound that can be heard is from the cars driving by them along with distant sirens. Hotaru slowly looks over at the delivery man.

"Are you being serious?" She asks, and he nods stiffly, nervous under her gaze.

"Why is my luck so terrible…?" Daichi hunches forward.

"You know what. Fine. Let's just unload this truck ourselves. It's only fish tanks, right? I can manage lifting that." Hotaru suddenly blurts, stomping towards the truck. "Between the three of us, I bet we'll have it empty in an hour."

"Three?" Shoto's eyes enlarge. He didn't sign up for manual labor.

"That's right." She nods with a smirk, climbing onto the bumper. "This is part of the request you agreed to, Shoroki. We can't set up a fish tank if they are all in here…"

She trails off when she opens the large door, and a shadow falls over her face. What is this? This can't be right. She doesn't see a single fish tank. All she sees are countless bags of gravel.

"...What is all of this?" She mutters.

"Gravel. For the fish tanks." Daichi answers miserably.

"...Why are they fifty pounds each?" Hotaru questions further.

"Because that's what I ordered. The fish tanks must be behind all of this."

"...You mean… we have to lift… I can't…"

At a slow pace, she moves off of the bumper. What the hell? She can't lift something so heavy. Sweat forms on her temple and she lets out a forged laugh, fiddling with her shirt. She should've threatened that guy over the phone. She draws in a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself.

"It's fine. We can just pull down the ramp and push them down—"

"There is no ramp." The delivery guy interrupts her, and her head snaps in his direction.

"What trailer doesn't have a ramp?!"

"I-I…!" The guy stutters out, not being able to finish.

Shoto looks between the three of them. Hotaru has sunken onto her knees with a gloomy aura surrounding her, Daichi is slouched against the side of the trailer in misery, and the delivery man is shaking in his boots. It's a hopeless sight. He lets out a heavy breath. They genuinely need help, _and helping people is what a hero does._ He blames her for this.

"Taru," Shoto begins, making her look at him through her doom and gloom. He walks over to the opened trailer, placing his hand against it. Ice crystallizes and she lets out a surprised gasp. His ice stretches from the back of the trailer all the way to the door of the fish store. His eyes meet her wide ones. "I want three more requests for this."

He's really going to help them? Her lips curve upwards as she gives him a grateful smile. For this, she'll happily give him three more requests. She'll give him anything. She nods and brings her hands together as she speaks.

"You're my literal—"

"Hero." Daichi finishes breathlessly.

* * *

~ Next Chapter Sneak Peek:

❤•○●○•❤

Hero Names and Internships

❤•○●○•❤

"I couldn't think of anything for the longest." Hotaru admits as she stands before her class, whiteboard in hand. "Our names are supposed to represent who we are. Everyone knows I was a villain before, and now I'm working hard to become a hero. Some people may think this dream of mine is a lost cause, but whatever. It's what I want, and this is who I am."

She holds her white board up for everyone to see with a smile, and Mineta screeches with red cheeks.


End file.
